In response to the rising challenge of deepfakes and misinformation, India’s government is poised to introduce amendments to the IT Rules within the next week. This move, announced by Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar, aims to address the ‘mixed compliance’ of social media intermediaries and online platforms with previous advisories.
Mixed Compliance Leads to Firm Action
The decision follows recent incidents, including a synthetic video of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, which sparked public outcry. Chandrasekhar emphasized that the upcoming IT rules would firmly embed the contents of the advisory, ensuring a more robust framework to combat the misuse of AI in creating deepfakes.
Platforms’ Responsibility in Focus
Chandrasekhar asserted that social media platforms and intermediaries bear the core responsibility of detecting and removing deepfakes and prohibited content. He warned that any casual approach to this responsibility might lead to platforms being blocked to prevent user harm.
A Hardened Government Stance
The government’s latest ultimatum underscores its hardened stance on AI-powered misinformation and deepfakes. The Centre has clearly instructed platforms to urgently crack down on doctored and manipulated videos, which are increasingly circulated on social media.
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Upcoming Amendments to IT Rules
The Minister indicated that the amended IT rules, expected to be notified in a week, will specifically address the issue of misinformation and deepfakes. These rules will require platforms to take specific actions, including amending their ‘Terms of Use’, to comply with the government’s directives.
Platforms’ Core Responsibility and Potential Consequences
Chandrasekhar highlighted that platforms have a fundamental duty to prevent user harm. Failure to meet these obligations could lead to severe government action, including the possibility of blocking platforms that do not adequately address deepfakes.
Government’s Clear Message to Platforms
In recent weeks, the Centre has asked platforms to decisively act on deepfakes and align their policies with the IT Rules and current laws. The government has made it clear that any failure in compliance will be dealt with strictly, with legal consequences.
Deepfakes: A Threat to Safe and Fair Elections
The issue of deepfakes has gained significant attention, especially in the context of elections. Chandrasekhar previously stated that deepfakes and misinformation pose a serious challenge to conducting safe, free, and fair elections in a large, connected nation like India. In line with this, US-based AI research organization OpenAI has announced its commitment to preventing the misuse of AI for political campaigning and creating misleading deepfakes.
