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Tech
Jun 15, 2026
Analyzed by GPT OSS 120B

AI‑Generated Deepfakes Fuel Harassment of Muslim Women in India

AI Summary
A fabricated AI‑generated video of Kashmiri model Samreen Ayoub was spread on Instagram, sparking a wave of online abuse and threats. Researchers document millions of interactions with similar deepfake content, exposing legal gaps and the urgent need for regulation in India.

New Delhi, India – A deepfake video that falsely portrayed freelance model Samreen Ayoub as a Muslim woman selling her body to Hindu men went viral on Instagram, triggering a digital lynching campaign that included abusive comments, threatening calls, and the loss of professional opportunities.

AI‑Generated Video of Samreen Ayoub Triggers Digital Lynching

The video stitched together photographs from Ayoub’s time at Jamia Millia Islamia University and added an AI‑generated voiceover that misidentified her brother as a "pimp". Within hours, more than a dozen accounts reposted the clip and hundreds reshared it, creating a coordinated harassment wave.

6.7 Million Interactions Reveal Scale of AI‑Fueled Abuse

  • Study by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH) examined 1,326 AI‑generated images and videos from 297 public accounts (May 2023 – May 2025).
  • Sexualised depictions of Muslim women generated the highest engagement: > 6.7 million interactions across X, Facebook and Instagram.
  • Approximately 10 % of the 482 cases handled by the Meri Trustline helpline (since 2022) involved digitally manipulated material.
  • AI tools used are often free, require no technical expertise, and can produce realistic deepfakes at speed.

Deepfake Harassment Amplifies Communal Tensions and Legal Gaps in India

Researchers link the visual pattern of a "Muslim‑coded woman" paired with a "Hindu‑coded man" to a broader "pornification of politics" that normalises abuse against minority women. The phenomenon echoes earlier "Sulli Deals" (2021) and "Bulli Bai" (2022) mock‑auction campaigns, which led to arrests of Aumkareshwar Thakur and Niraj Bishnoi in January 2022 (bail granted two months later).

Legal experts note that India’s Section 66E of the Information Technology Act addresses non‑consensual images of real persons, but may not cover entirely AI‑generated content, leaving victims without clear recourse. Platform "safe harbour" protections further limit accountability.

Future Outlook: Stricter Regulation and Platform Accountability Needed

Politician Atif Rasheed (BJP) called for stronger regulations to curb AI‑driven abuse, while acknowledging the technology’s dual potential. Advocates such as Apar Gupta of the Internet Freedom Foundation urge updates to legal frameworks and redesign of reporting mechanisms on social platforms.

If India does not adapt its laws and platform policies, the rapid, low‑cost generation of harassing deepfakes is likely to expand, perpetuating fear, reputational damage, and real‑world safety concerns for Muslim women and other vulnerable groups.