IT Ministry Firm On Regulating AI, Asks Social Media Platforms To Remove Deepfakes Ahead Of Lok Sabha Polls

The Ministry of Electronics and IT has issued an advisory to social media platforms like X and Meta, urging them to remove artificial intelligence (AI)-generated deepfakes from their platforms, as per a report by The Economic Times.

"We have issued a new advisory to social media intermediaries. The advisory emphasises that when offering an AI product, caution must be exercised to avoid providing half-developed products that are prone to hallucination or disseminating inaccurate information," S Krishnan, a top official stated.

Additionally, Krishnan stated that deepfakes constitute a form of misrepresentation, and any such misuse is already addressed under the IT Act and Rules.

Rule 2(1)(w) of the IT Rules 2021 defines a “social media intermediary” as an intermediary that primarily or solely enables online interaction between two or more users, allowing them to create, upload, share, disseminate, modify, or access information using its services.

Deepfakes involve the manipulation of a person's facial appearance through advanced generative methods, supported by AI, including imaging and voice rendering techniques.

Due to the absence of a global regulatory framework, deepfakes and misinformation have become significant concerns, highlighting the need for responsible AI use.

In December last year, the ministry issued a similar advisory to social media giants like Meta, X, and Google, instructing them to remove deepfakes.

It also directed intermediaries to ensure compliance with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to deepfakes as "one of the biggest threats" facing the Indian system, warning of potential chaos in society.

Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections this year, concerns have escalated regarding social networking platforms being used to circulate deepfakes by malicious actors, misrepresenting public figures or lawmakers for political gain.