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On deepfakes menace, Union minister reveals Centre's action plan
The IT ministry is considering amending the IT Rules, 2021, to explicitly define deepfake among other things.
Union minister of state for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, on Tuesday said that the Centre is likely to amend IT rules in the next seven to eight days.
Chandrasekhar said that the government has had two rounds of “Digital India” dialogues with all of the intermediaries.
"We have drawn their attention to the current rules. We have drawn their attention to the consequences of non-compliance,” Chandrasekhar said. "We have issued an advisory and we have also said that if we are not satisfied with the compliance, we will notify newly amended rules that are much more specific to the issue of misinformation and deep fakes in particular..."
On deepfakes, he said that every benefit of innovation brings in new challenges and harms too.
Also Read | ‘Social media platforms to ensure safe internet, no deepfakes’: Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar
"With every benefit of innovation, there are challenges and harms too...Our policies, our rules and our outlook are of open, safe and accountable internet. It is our duty that every Indian experiences safety and trust on the internet... We will make rules and laws for it... On the Deepfake issue, we have notified an advisory. We will also notify new IT rules in the coming time..." he said, according to ANI.
Deepfake videos are synthetic media created using AI, which generates convincing-looking fake images, videos or audio not usually discernible to someone not trained in spotting them.
The IT ministry is considering amending the IT Rules, 2021, to explicitly define deepfakes and make it obligatory for all intermediaries to make “reasonable efforts” to not host them, a move aimed at giving its two advisories on deepfakes legal backing, HT has learnt.
MeitY is considering three amendments in particular. One, it is looking to define a deepfake as any audio, visual or audio-visual content created, edited or altered through electronic means that can be perceived as true.
Also Read | Remove misinfo, deepfakes: MeitY to intermediaries
The ministry is considering making it obligatory for all intermediaries to remind users of disallowed content under rule 3(1)(b) every 15 days in clear and precise language. Eleven kinds of content --- including content that violates intellectual property rights, impersonates another person, is obscene or pornographic or harmful to child, and poses a threat to national security --- are not allowed on platforms under this rule.
Three, the ministry is considering expanding the definition of “grievance” under the IT Rules so that “complaints” related to user-generated content that violates rule 3(1)(b) can also be sent to the intermediary’s grievance officer directly. This would mean that all content reported through in-app mechanisms would also be sent to the grievance officer.
