Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw: ‘Rules on Deepfakes Coming, More Needs To Be Done’
Recently Social Media has witnessed various deepfake contents of certain celebrities which are forged, and not real. Thus, in response, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister for Electronics and Information Technology stated on Thursday that the Government is ready to make rules, and regulations for the prevention of the spread and circulation of synthetic media that copies audio, video, authentic images, and the deepfakes online.
To warrant the actions, Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw revealed that he held meetings with people from top technology and social media firms. They discussed regarding prevention of the circulation of deepfake content, on the same day of the announcement.
What Has Been Done Yet?
Government Involvement is witnessed and new rules are set to be made after the circulation of deepfake content went viral on Instagram of South Indian Actress Rashmika Mandanna. This happened earlier this month. At a Diwali event, PM Narendra Modi also spoke about the potential dangers and threats that deepfakes possess.
According to the IT Ministry, until now majority of social media firms have received advisories to warn them regarding the prevention of impersonation online, as per existing law. However, the ministry assured that to address the issue in a better and more comprehensive way, it will move swiftly.
Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “Within 10 days, we will come up with clear actionable items on four pillars.” During this time, a mechanism to detect deepfakes will be improved, their circulation and spread will be halted, and content reporting mechanisms on social media platforms will be improved for deepfakes, removing them within 72 hours of posting, and educating the public about the deepfakes.
Until now, Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw has not specified the different types of legal instruments that will be used. However, the rules might either come as a fresh law or subordinate legislation to an existing law. Chances exist that an exciting law will be amended.
Ashwini Vaishnaw: ‘More Needs To Be Done’
Mr. Vaishnaw Tagged the AI-generated content to be labeled or circulated with a watermark being the basic minimum. However, he added that more needs to be done as well. He added, “Users have a right to know what is natural and what is not natural. Free speech and privacy are both constructs that are important to us. And these constructs will be undermined by deepfakes.”
Until now, it is not clear whether the public will be able to know about the proposed rules before they are finalized or not. However, Mr. Vaishnaw stated that inputs from the public will be added with the help of an open consultative process before the final passing of the law.
Also Read:
Anushka Sen’s Deepfake Video Goes Viral on Instagram, Leaves Fans Confused
Kajol Devgan’s Deepfake Video of Changing Clothes Goes Viral
