Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar announced in a press conference on Tuesday that compliance with the advisory on deepfakes from social media and online platforms has been “mixed.” He assured that amended IT rules will be notified within a week to address the issue, stressing that platforms bear the responsibility of detecting and removing deepfakes and prohibited content.
Chandrasekhar, the Minister of State for IT and Electronics, warned that a lack of action or a casual approach by platforms towards their core responsibility of preventing user harm may result in them being blocked. This stern stance follows the government’s directive to platforms to urgently crack down on doctored and manipulated videos circulating on social media.
The Minister highlighted that the government had previously made it clear to social media and online platforms that non-compliance with the advisory on deepfakes would lead to the introduction of new IT rules. “There has been a mixed performance of compliance, and I had said at the time of the advisory that if we find it not being followed through completely, we will follow it up with very clear amended IT rules,” Chandrasekhar stated.*
The upcoming amended IT rules, according to Chandrasekhar, will firmly embed the guidelines outlined in the advisory. “What was in the advisory will now be firmly embedded into the IT rules, and we hope to do this in the next one week,” he added.
Deepfakes, referring to synthetic or doctored media created through digital manipulation and artificial intelligence, have raised concerns about the spread of misinformation. The government’s latest ultimatum reflects a determination to combat the issue and holds platforms accountable for adhering to regulations.
Chandrasekhar, addressing a press conference at BJP headquarters in New Delhi, revealed that the government had engaged in two rounds of Digital India dialogues with intermediaries, cautioning them about the consequences of non-compliance. The minister highlighted that platforms have a “core responsibility” to prevent user harm, and failure to meet these obligations may lead to government action.*
The government’s recent advisories have prescribed specific actions, including the amendment of “terms of use” by platforms. If compliance is deemed insufficient, the government is prepared to notify new rules explicitly addressing the issues of misinformation and deepfakes.
Chandrasekhar concluded by stating that platforms must ensure that no user puts out harmful content, and the government is ready to take stringent measures, including blocking platforms, to prevent user harm. The impending stricter IT rules aim to create a more robust framework for addressing the challenges posed by deepfakes and misinformation in the digital space.
“The only short-term fix for the insidious and rapid spread of deep fakes, which could be especially dangerous in 2024 – the year of global elections – is to try to contain their spread on social media. There is a need to have rules and regulations which compel social media companies to do their best possible and invest heavily to do this. In the long term, however, we need a more balanced regulation, public awareness and education, and increasing use of technology for containing this,” Jaspreet Bindra, Founder, The Tech Whisperer told Business Today.
Source: Business Today
