South Asian Nations Move to Criminalize AI-Generated Disinformation

Bangladesh is preparing a revised cyber law that would create a new Section 26A criminalising the publication of unverified rumors or intentional disinformation. The draft proposes up to ten years’ imprisonment and fines of up to Tk 40 lakh, with harsher penalties for content targeting women or minors. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre would oversee enforcement, aiming to curb AI‑generated deepfakes, altered audio and misleading images.

In India, the central government plans to introduce legislation in the Monsoon Session of Parliament that would make AI‑generated deepfakes and “digital arrest” scams separate criminal offences. The move follows a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, which warned that existing laws lack clear definitions for these crimes. The proposed law seeks to provide specific punishments and procedural tools, such as asset freezing, to address the growing threat of AI‑driven cybercrime.