Deepfake probe: Meta not cooperating in Rashmika Mandhana case, says Delhi Police sources

As Delhi Police continues its probe into the case pertaining to the deepfake video of actor Rashmika Mandanna and others, sources in the department told India Today TV that Meta (formerly Facebook) has not been cooperating with the investigation.

Despite sending a notice to Meta requesting information, the social media giant has not provided any details so far, sources said. The Cyber Cell of Delhi Police's Special Cell is currently conducting an investigation into the matter.

A case was registered on November 10 against unknown persons following which the officials wrote to Meta seeking URL of the account from which the deepfake video of actress Rashmika Mandana was shared.

Deepfake videos involve the creation of synthetic media, wherein the appearance of a person in an original image or video is replaced with the likeness of someone else.

Sources also revealed that



despite a prolonged investigation, no leads have been found on the alleged perpetrator.

The accused has deleted his/her account and erased all data associated with it, sources said, adding that the accused had used a fake identity and VPN for the account.

The Cyber Cell, during its questioning of individuals who shared the video, has not yet found any clues to the creator of the deepfake video. These individuals were the ones who had shared the video on social media platforms such as X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and others.

According to Delhi Police sources, obtaining cooperation from social media platforms is crucial for reaching any conclusions in the investigation of deepfake cases.

While these platforms readily engage in discussions with the government, they do not readily provide assistance during police investigations, sources claimed.