Amid growing concerns about deepfake videos, YouTube India Director Ishan John Chatterjee stated that the company opposes deepfake videos.
Chatterjee said that YouTube does not support misinformation or fake news, as it goes against the interests of its key stakeholders: users, creators, and advertisers. The platform’s alignment with government regulations and continuous engagement with authorities on emerging issues was also highlighted.
The government’s directive on deep fakes
According to multiple media reports, The Indian government has directed social media platforms to take strict action against deepfakes.
The directive comes in response to the circulation of deepfake images and videos of celebrities and concerns raised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government also plans to introduce new guidelines to combat deepfakes.
YouTube’s compliance and content removal
Timothy Katz, YouTube’s director and global head of responsibility, outlined the platform’s efforts in removing non-compliant content. In the second quarter of 2023, YouTube removed over 78,000 videos globally for misinformation violations and around 963,000 videos for spam, deceptive practices, and scams. Katz also mentioned YouTube’s focus on recommending credible sources for sensitive content.
Elevating authoritative sources
YouTube has developed tools to prioritize content from authoritative sources in search results. Katz explained that human evaluators assess the quality of information in videos and channels, determining their “authoritativeness.” This score influences how prominently a video is featured in news and information content.
Rules against deep fakes
Google, YouTube’s parent company, announced new requirements for content creators regarding altered or synthetic content. Creators must disclose if their content is synthetic, and YouTube aims to label such content clearly for users. Additionally, Google said it will enable the removal of AI-generated or altered content that simulates identifiable individuals, respecting user privacy and preventing manipulation.
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