Deepfakes in Iranian Private Law: An Analytical Exploration of Legal, Technical, and Social Challenges

Deepfake technology, utilizing artificial intelligence to produce highly realistic yet fabricated multimedia content, presents a significant challenge to Iran's private law framework, particularly in addressing civil liability. This study highlights a critical knowledge gap in Iranian legal systems where the Civil Liability Act of ۱۹۶۰ struggles to address the complexities of proving fault and quantifying non material damages caused by anonymous and transnational deepfake distribution. The main research question is: How can Iran's private law regulate civil liability for deepfakes to balance technological advancement with the protection of individual rights? The aim is to propose a comprehensive regulatory framework by analyzing Iran's legal shortcomings through a qualitative and comparative methodology, drawing on international models like the European Union's AI Act and China's mandatory labeling regulations. The novelty lies in integrating Islamic jurisprudential principles, such as La Zarar (the prohibition of actions that result in damage or injury to others), Itlaf (Wasting) and Tasbib (Causation), to reform legal approaches, alongside advocating for detection technologies and media literacy. The findings highlight a pressing need for customized legal reforms to address the intricate legal, technological, and societal challenges posed by deepfakes in Iran. Without targeted measures, the risks of unchecked deepfake proliferation threaten to undermine individual rights and public trust.

Keywords:

Deepfakes , Civil Liability , Artificial Intelligence , Iranian Private Law