The Indian government has issued an advisory to social media platforms in response to concerns about the harmful impact of deepfakes. The advisory aims to ensure that platforms adhere to the existing Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 and take proactive measures to combat the spread of misinformation through artificial intelligence.
The advisory comes after a viral manipulated video featuring actress Rashmika Mandanna, which led to the arrest of four individuals by the Delhi police. While the IT Rules already outline prohibited content that platforms in India are responsible for removing, the new advisory specifically highlights the threat posed by deepfakes and urges platforms to prioritize their detection and removal.
In November, the IT Minister announced plans to formulate regulations targeting deepfakes, but no concrete draft has been presented. In the meantime, the government stated that amendments to the IT Rules would be applied as necessary, and the complete advisory sent to platforms has not been shared.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued the advisory following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concern about the dangers of deepfakes in November. The advisory emphasizes the importance of transparently communicating prohibited content under the IT Rules to users, including content related to national security, public order, terrorism, obscenity, hate speech, and deepfake-based impersonation.
The advisory mandates platforms to make “reasonable efforts” to prevent the upload, sharing, and dissemination of harmful content. This includes developing technological solutions for detecting and removing deepfakes, establishing grievance redressal mechanisms, and cooperating with law enforcement agencies in investigating and prosecuting the misuse of this technology.
The government’s proactive stance is driven by concerns about the potential misuse of deepfakes to spread misinformation, incite violence, manipulate public opinion, and tarnish reputations. Sophisticated deepfake videos have been used to impersonate celebrities, politicians, and public figures with malicious intent. This advisory represents the government’s efforts to address these challenges and safeguard against the harmful effects of deepfakes on social media platforms.