AI Deepfakes Force Indian Women Off the Web, Reports Say

In a worrying trend, many Indian women are choosing to retreat from social media and online platforms due to rising fears of AI-generated deepfakes and image manipulation. Recent research by the Rati Foundation and tech-watch group Tattle shows that around one in ten reported abuse cases now involve digitally altered images of women, often sexualised or culturally inappropriate.

Women such as 22-year-old Gaatha Sarvaiya from Mumbai say they have scaled back their online presence, worried that a photo could be misused into a humiliating image later. “The thought immediately pops in: maybe it’s not safe,” she said. The legal process for seeking redress remains slow and opaque, adding to the sense of vulnerability.

Platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram and X are under pressure to act, but experts say the root issue lies in the tech itself: hidden biases, lack of oversight and evolving misuse. “This issue isn’t simply about trolling , it’s about how technology is shaping what women dare to share,” explained gender-rights researcher Rohini Lakshané.

As digital abuse becomes smarter and more invasive, women’s voices online are being muted, not by choice, but by fear. The challenge now is not only to fix the tech, but to rebuild trust in the digital spaces where women share, connect and create.