Kerala Police FIR Over AI-Generated Video Depicting PM and Election Commission
Kerala Police registered a case after an AI-generated video depicting Prime Minister Modi and the Chief Election Commissioner was posted on X, allegedly showing them working together. The cyber police said the content could mislead the public and adversely impact the conduct of elections, and issued notices demanding removal from the platform.
What happened
An AI-generated video was posted on the social media platform X under the handle of Laxmi N Raju showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar interacting to allege that the BJP and the Election Commission of India were working together. The video related to a controversy over a retracted Election Commission letter that bore the seal of the Kerala BJP and was circulated to political parties ahead of Kerala elections scheduled for April 9.
Reported impact
The cyber wing of Kerala Police alleged the content could 'adversely impact the conduct of free and fair elections' and had the potential to 'mislead the public, undermine the credibility of constitutional bodies' and violate the Model Code of Conduct. The post was characterized as defamatory and misleading with intention of causing riots according to the FIR.
Index analysis
The video used AI-generated images to create a false depiction of interactions between constitutional office holders. The content was designed to suggest improper coordination between election authorities and a political party during an election period.
Governance controls
The cyber police issued legal notices to the intermediary platform X under the Information Technology Act and Rules, requesting expeditious removal of the unlawful content. The Election Commission of India had previously approached cyber police regarding the retracted letter's circulation and notices were served to Facebook, Instagram, and X asking for removal.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.