Deepfake: Modi Govt. Issues Advisory To Social Media Platforms, Reminds IT Rules

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued an advisory to social media platforms, instructing them to adhere to existing IT rules in addressing the concern of deepfakes. Many actors namely Rashmika Mandanna, Katrina Kaif, Kajol, Deepika Padukone, and Alia Bhatt have been the victim of deepfake video attacks.

According to the advisory, social media platforms are required to notify their users about content that is prohibited as specified under the IT Rules.

The IT Rules' Rule 3(1)(b) specifies restrictions on content sharing that violate the rights of others, such as invading bodily privacy or sharing "obscene or pornographic" material. Additionally, prohibited content includes any that might deceive or mislead users by presenting itself as factual but deliberately misrepresents its origins, along with content that impersonates someone else.

"In addition, the terms of service and user agreements must clearly highlight that intermediaries/platforms are under obligation to report legal violations to the law enforcement agencies under the relevant Indian laws applicable to the context," the advisory read.

The advisory emerged subsequent to discussions led by Union Minister of State for Electronics & IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, during the 'Digital India dialogues' conducted over a month. Engaging with industry leaders, he addressed the critical issue of deepfakes, emphasizing the imperative for all platforms to comply with existing laws and regulations.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar highlighted that following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's alert on the deepfake threat in November, social media platforms were urged to exercise vigilance in promptly removing such content. He underscored that platforms were duly notified about the legal ramifications linked to any breaches of the IT rules.