Hyderabad's cybercrime police have named Meta India's country head, Arun Srinivas, in a formal case over the circulation of AI-generated and digitally manipulated videos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook and Instagram.
The cases were filed on complaints of two individuals who alleged they came across multiple morphed and digitally manipulated videos and images portraying the prime minister in an obscene, derogatory and misleading manner.
The AI-generated videos were allegedly shared on Facebook and Instagram and started circulating around the Cockroach Janta Party-led students' protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.
Police registered the cases under Section 66-C (identity theft) and Section 67 (publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act, as well as Section 353(2) (statements creating public disorder) and Section 336(4) (forged electronic record damaging reputation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police are preparing to send a notice to Meta Platforms regarding the case, which had not been issued as of Friday, said V Aravind Babu, deputy commissioner of police for cyber crimes in Hyderabad. Meta did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
The case adds to a string of tensions between Meta and Modi's government over content tied to the prime minister. India's IT ministry summoned Meta executives this week after Facebook briefly restricted a Modi post last week, with a top official saying the government wanted Meta to explain the matter at the highest level.
Investigation around Meta's content moderation and safety systems is also underway, with police still in the early stages of the probe and any further legal action expected to depend on the digital evidence collected.
