New Delhi: In a significant move against the rising tide of technology-enabled gender-based violence, a petition has been moved before the National Commission for Women (NCW) seeking suo motu intervention against the alleged misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The representation, filed by Advocate Saket Sourav of the Jharkhand High Court, highlights a "growing and systematic pattern" of digital sexual violence where AI tools—specifically X's "Grok"—are allegedly being exploited to create and circulate non-consensual obscene images of women.
The petition points to a disturbing trend where anonymous and fake accounts use AI features to target women. According to the plea, miscreants obtain photographs of women from their public social media profiles and use AI prompts to digitally remove or minimize clothing.
The resulting explicit content, often referred to as "deepfakes" or "AI-generated obscenity," is then circulated publicly on X. The petitioner argues that this practice causes "irreversible harm" to a victim's dignity, reputation, mental health, and sense of personal safety.
The plea urges the Commission to exercise its powers under Section 10(1) of the National Commission for Women Act, 1990. This section empowers the NCW to take suo motu notice of matters involving:
- Deprivation of women’s rights.
- Non-implementation of protective laws.
- Systemic failures that affect the safety and dignity of women.
Advocate Sourav emphasized that the Commission has a history of intervening in cases of online abuse and morphed images, and the current technological shift requires a similarly proactive response.
The petition frames this issue not just as a technological glitch, but as a grave violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India.
- Right to Privacy (Article 21): Relying on the landmark Supreme Court judgment in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India, the plea argues that the non-consensual creation of sexualized imagery violates a woman's right to bodily autonomy and informational privacy.
- Right to Equality (Article 14): The petition contends that such practices disproportionately target women, creating a "hostile digital environment" that prevents them from participating equally in online spaces.
- Freedom of Expression (Article 19(1)(a)): The "chilling effect" caused by the fear of being targeted by AI tools infringes upon women’s freedom to express themselves online.
- Fundamental Duty (Article 51A(e)): The plea reminds the Commission of the constitutional duty of every citizen to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.
The petitioner warned that delay in institutional intervention could embolden perpetrators and "normalize" gender-based digital abuse. Given the viral nature of the internet, once these images are shared, they are nearly impossible to delete entirely, leading to permanent victimization.
The petition has sought the following from the NCW:
- Immediate suo motu cognizance of the misuse of AI tools on X.
- An investigation into the systemic failure of platforms to prevent such content generation.
- Policy-level safeguards and directions to social media intermediaries to ensure accountability and victim protection.
As AI technology continues to evolve faster than current regulations, this petition serves as a crucial reminder of the legal vacuum surrounding synthetic media. By approaching the NCW, the petitioner seeks to hold both the perpetrators and the platforms accountable, ensuring that the digital world remains a safe space for women to exercise their constitutional rights.