Kerala police have registered a criminal case against social media platform X — owned by Elon Musk — and a specific user account after an artificial intelligence‑generated video circulated on the platform allegedly defamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Election Commission of India (ECI). The authorities said the content had the “potential to mislead” and could incite communal tensions, particularly in the run‑up to elections in the poll‑bound state.

According to the FIR filed by the Kerala Police’s cyber division, the video — which ran for just over a minute — featured a forged letter purportedly from the ECI bearing the seal of a political party’s state unit. Police said the clip was still available on the original X account even after they were alerted to the content, prompting them to take legal action under sections of the Indian Penal Code related to promoting enmity and causing public mischief.

The move highlights growing concerns among Indian authorities about the misuse of AI tools to generate misleading political content. While AI‑created media can be used for legitimate purposes, law enforcement officials emphasise that synthetic content targeting public figures and democratic institutions may have serious repercussions if circulated widely without accurate context or disclosure.

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Kerala’s police action seeks to hold both the user who originally posted the AI video and the platform itself accountable for the spread of potentially defamatory material. Officials have argued that platforms hosting such content bear responsibility for monitoring and taking down posts that could undermine public trust or disrupt communal harmony, especially during sensitive phases of the electoral cycle.

X has previously drawn scrutiny in several jurisdictions over how it moderates content and manages emerging AI capabilities, including deepfakes and generative media. Critics have pointed to broader questions about social platforms’ role in policing misinformation and the adequacy of safeguards to prevent the spread of harmful content.

Legal experts say that FIRs against platforms are rare but reflect a tightening regulatory environment around digital content in India, particularly where national leaders and election authorities are concerned. If convicted, those named in the case could face penalties under Indian law for offences related to creating or disseminating content intended to deceive or cause disorder.

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