Digital deepfakes have moved far beyond harmless internet humor, creating serious questions about privacy, reputation, and online legal boundaries across India. With artificial intelligence making it effortless to clone voices and fabricate videos, existing legal frameworks are feeling the strain. While India’s Copyright Act of 1957 shields original photos, movies, and recorded sounds, it doesn't grant a person legal ownership over their face or voice. If a deepfake recreates your appearance from scratch without using a copyrighted photo, traditional copyright law simply doesn't apply. Instead, individuals must rely on privacy principles, judicial precedents, and common-law remedies to protect their identity rights. To address this growing gap, the government introduced crucial updates to the Information Technology Rules in 2026. These rules define synthetically generated information and force social media platforms to take stricter due-diligence measures. When deceptive media surfaces, platforms are now under tighter timelines to pull the content down. However, taking down a video doesn't automatically compensate the victim or hold the creator accountable. As synthetic media becomes more convincing every day, lawmakers face a tricky balancing act: protecting citizens from harmful impersonations without choking legitimate satire, artistic expression, and free speech.