The Indian government has issued warnings to social media platforms, such as Facebook and YouTube, cautioning against the posting of deepfakes, as well as content promoting obscenity or misinformation. IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar conveyed this warning in a closed-door meeting with major internet companies, directing them to update their usage terms within a week to comply with 2022 regulations that prohibit content deemed harmful to children, obscene, or involving impersonation. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw added that the government is actively working on regulations to address the challenges posed by deepfakes—media that is digitally manipulated using AI technology to potentially spread misinformation.
Chandrasekhar emphasized that Facebook and YouTube must take proactive measures to inform users about these rules upon logging in and issue regular reminders. Failure to do so may result in the government issuing specific directives to enforce compliance. The minister reiterated that alignment with government rules on content guidelines is a non-negotiable demand, as per information from two sources.
In addition to the warnings, Chandrasekhar announced the appointment of a Rule Seven officer who will establish a platform allowing citizens to report any perceived violations of the law by these platforms. This initiative aims to simplify the reporting process for citizens, enabling them to bring potential violations to the government’s attention.
The deepfake issue gained prominence as Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently addressed the dangers associated with this technology during a virtual summit of G20 nations. Modi stressed the need for global collaboration on regulations related to artificial intelligence (AI) to mitigate the risks posed by deepfakes. The government’s actions underscore its commitment to regulating online content and combating the challenges posed by misinformation and deepfake technology.