Due to the rising threat of deepfake and the dissemination of misinformation through artificial intelligence, the government has issued a stern advisory to all social media platforms, urging compliance with existing IT rules. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released an official statement outlining key directives aimed at curbing the spread of deceptive content.
The advisory, a result of deliberations led by Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar with major intermediaries, focuses on the necessity for digital and social media platforms to clearly communicate prohibited content as specified under IT Rules to users. Particularly, content listed under Rule 3(1)(b) is to be explicitly conveyed to users at the time of registration and reiterated through regular reminders, especially during logins and when sharing information on the platform.
Digital intermediaries are further urged to ensure that users are well-informed about the penal provisions outlined in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the IT Act 2000, particularly in cases of Rule 3(1)(b) violations. The terms of service and user agreements must explicitly highlight the obligation of intermediaries/platforms to report legal violations to law enforcement agencies under relevant Indian laws.
Rule 3(1)(b) within the due diligence section of the IT rules mandates intermediaries to communicate their rules, regulations, privacy policy, and user agreement in the user’s preferred language. Additionally, platforms are obligated to make reasonable efforts to prevent users from engaging in various activities related to the 11 listed user harms or content prohibited on digital intermediaries.
The term “deepfake” refers to synthetic or doctored media that is digitally manipulated using artificial intelligence to convincingly misrepresent or impersonate someone.
The advisory, issued by the Central government, comes in the wake of a series of ‘deepfake’ videos featuring prominent actors that went viral, raising concerns over the misuse of technology and tools for creating deceptive content and false storylines. MeitY’s advisory emphasizes the need for immediate compliance with IT rules to address the growing threat of AI-driven deepfake in the digital media.