The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a stern warning to social media platforms, indicating that consistent violations of the nation’s laws, particularly concerning deepfake content, may lead to temporary bans in India. This announcement comes in the wake of a meeting held on November 24, where representatives from major platforms were present.
The meeting, chaired by State Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, included participants from Koo, Samsung, Apple, Reliance Jio, Meta, Google, Snap, Sharechat, and Telegram. The discussions focused on various issues, with deepfakes and other prohibited content taking center stage.
If social media platforms continue to breach laws related to national security, public order, or other grounds specified in the IT Act, the government retains the authority to issue orders under Section 69A of the Act, potentially blocking public access to the platform.
During the meeting, the government presented a deck to elucidate how Rule 3 (1) (b) (v) of the IT Rules applies specifically to deepfakes. The rule prohibits false information about the Central government, impersonation, and the dissemination of false information. The government clarified that this rule encompasses content generated by artificial intelligence, including deepfakes.
This development comes on the heels of the announcement by Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Electronics and IT, about the government’s plans to formulate a new law explicitly targeting the challenges posed by deepfakes.
As the government takes a proactive stance against the misuse of technology, the future landscape of social media regulation in India may witness significant changes.
