South Asia AI disinformation regulation

In early July 2026 Bangladesh began expanding AI‑driven fact‑checking initiatives, citing concerns raised by the United Kingdom and the United States about workplace AI challenges. By the end of the month, both Bangladesh and India were moving toward criminal legislation targeting AI‑generated disinformation. Bangladesh drafted a revised cyber law that would create a new offence for publishing unverified rumors or intentional misinformation, with penalties of up to ten years’ imprisonment and fines of up to Tk 40 lakh, especially for content aimed at women or minors. India announced plans to introduce separate criminal offences for AI‑generated deepfakes and “digital arrest” scams, following a Supreme Court warning that existing statutes lack clear definitions. Both countries intend to empower monitoring agencies and provide procedural tools such as asset freezing to combat the rise of AI‑driven cybercrime.