Pooja Singh Rajput And The Digital Shift: Navigating Identity, Misinformation, And Online Ethics In India’s Streaming Era

As of June 2024, the name Pooja Singh Rajput has surfaced in online searches with an alarming frequency, often linked to false and defamatory claims involving adult content and web series. Despite no credible evidence or verifiable digital footprint supporting these allegations, the persistent circulation of such misinformation highlights a growing crisis at the intersection of digital identity, online harassment, and the unchecked spread of deepfakes—particularly targeting women in South Asia. Unlike isolated cases of digital slander, this phenomenon reflects a broader trend where ordinary individuals are falsely implicated in explicit content through manipulated metadata, algorithmic bias, and the misuse of search engine optimization tactics designed to tarnish reputations.

The situation echoes similar cases involving actress Bhuvan Bam’s impersonation scams and the 2022 deepfake controversy surrounding Indian TV star Rashami Desai, where synthetic media was weaponized to erode public trust. In Pooja Singh Rajput’s case, the absence of any legitimate filmography, social media presence, or verified production credits further underscores the fabricated nature of these claims. Yet, the damage is real: reputational harm, emotional distress, and the chilling effect on women’s participation in digital spaces. This reflects a systemic vulnerability in India’s rapidly expanding OTT ecosystem, where over 600 million internet users now engage with content, but regulatory frameworks lag behind technological abuse.

India’s web series boom, led by platforms like MX Player, ALT Balaji, and ZEE5, has democratized storytelling but also opened doors to ethical grey zones. The lack of standardized content labeling, combined with minimal identity verification for cast and crew, enables malicious actors to attach real names to fictional or illicit content. This isn’t merely a privacy issue—it’s a gendered digital violence tactic. According to a 2023 report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), over 68% of online harassment cases involving women include some form of non-consensual intimate imagery or impersonation, often disguised as “web series leaks.”

The Pooja Singh Rajput case also intersects with global debates on digital personhood. In the U.S., laws like California’s deepfake legislation now criminalize non-consensual synthetic pornography. Meanwhile, India’s IT Rules 2021 remain reactive rather than preventive. The absence of a centralized digital identity verification system for content creators allows misinformation to propagate unchecked. This is not unlike the early days of social media when fake celebrity accounts proliferated before verification systems were established.

As streaming platforms continue to grow, the industry must adopt proactive measures: watermarking cast identities, requiring verified ID submissions for credited roles, and integrating AI-driven content provenance tools. Without such safeguards, the next generation of digital artists—and ordinary citizens—will remain vulnerable to digital character assassination disguised as entertainment.