In a significant move to combat the proliferation of deepfakes and misinformation on social media, the Indian government is poised to notify amendments to the Information Technology (IT) Rules within the next seven days. Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, revealed this initiative, emphasizing the imperative to address the ‘mixed compliance’ of social media intermediaries with previous advisories on deepfakes.
The Minister remarked on the platforms’ varied response to the earlier advisory and stressed that the government had previously cautioned about potential amendments if full compliance was not achieved. Chandrasekhar mentioned that the forthcoming amendments would firmly incorporate the contents of the advisory into the new IT Rules, demonstrating the government’s commitment to mitigating the challenges posed by deepfake technology.
This crackdown follows the government’s commitment to actively monitor social media platforms for adherence to advisories regarding deepfakes. The recent public outcry over synthetic videos, including one featuring former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, has underscored the need for robust measures to counter the misuse of technology.
Tendulkar, responding to the manipulated video falsely depicting him endorsing a gaming platform, urged users to report such content and emphasized the responsibility of social media platforms to promptly address complaints.
Deepfakes gained notoriety last year after a video featuring actor Rashmika Mandanna went viral, prompting widespread concern. In response, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a comprehensive advisory for all social media platforms to curb the dissemination of deepfake videos and associated misinformation.
The advisory specifically directed online platforms to transparently communicate prohibited content to users, particularly those outlined under Rule 3(1)(b) of the IT Rules.
The imminent amendments signify the government’s commitment to fostering a secure digital environment and curbing the spread of false information facilitated by deepfakes.
