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Why Gujarat HC has issued notices to Meta, Google, X
15 Apr 2026

The Gujarat High Court has issued notices to tech giants Meta, Google, X, Reddit, and Scribd.

The court action comes in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding a robust regulatory framework against the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) for creating and distributing deepfake videos and images.

The court has asked these companies to respond by May 8.

Intermediaries must ensure integration with Sahyog portal: Court
Legal compliance

The court has directed the respondent intermediaries to ensure their integration with the Sahyog portal.

This is aimed at better coordination and timely action for removing unlawful content, as per the Information Technology Act of 2000.

The court stressed that "effective and meaningful responses/action of the respondent intermediaries will be key to the due diligence obligations enforced upon them under the statutory framework."

Centre's stand on compliance by tech platforms
Procedural challenges

In their affidavits, the central and Gujarat governments have flagged frequent delays, repeated procedural obligations, and non-compliance by some tech platforms to lawful notices.

The Centre informed that it launched the Sahyog portal in October 2024 for immediate action against unlawful content.

However, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) noted that while some intermediaries like Meta and Google have improved compliance actions, others such as X are yet to fully integrate with this portal.

MHA flags X's non-responsiveness to notifications
Compliance issues

The MHA specifically flagged X's non-responsiveness to notifications about unlawful content, including synthetically generated information.

Between 2024 and 2026, a total of 94 notifications were sent to X for containing such content. However, the ministry said that only formal responses were received against 13 of these notifications.

The MHA said this low rate of formal responses hampers timely removal or disabling access to unlawful content and effective investigations by law enforcement agencies.

PIL filed by Vikas Nair
Public concern

The PIL, filed by petitioner Vikas Nair, has raised concerns over the rampant creation and circulation of AI-generated videos on digital platforms.

He argued that these pose a serious threat to public order and the functioning of a healthy democracy.

The petitioner also criticized the government's inaction in formulating specific laws or regulatory mechanisms against deepfake/synthetic/digitally manipulated media AI-generated content.

Petitioner calls for comprehensive regulatory mechanism
Regulatory demand

The petitioner has urged the HC to direct the government to formulate a comprehensive regulatory mechanism against the misuse of AI in creating and distributing fake videos and images.

He stressed that there is an urgent need to curb such AI deepfakes, which can have irreversible impacts on society.

The petitioner also called for laws regulating fast-paced technological advancements, highlighting gaps in India's existing legal framework including IT Act 2000.