India’s MeitY Issues Advisory to Combat Deepfakes and Misinformation on Social Media

India's MeitY Issues Advisory to Combat Deepfakes and Misinformation on Social Media

VoM News Desk | December 27, 2023 | 11:14 AM IST | Breaking News, Cybersecurity, Security | Follow on Google News

India’s MeitY Issues Advisory to Combat Deepfakes and Misinformation on Social Media/ANI

India’s MeitY Issues Advisory to Combat Deepfakes and Misinformation on Social Media

In a bid to tackle the growing threats posed by deepfakes and misinformation, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a second advisory to social media platforms. Released on December 26, this move aims to enforce strict compliance with the Information Technology (IT) Rules, especially concerning the dissemination of prohibited content among users.

Addressing Deepfake Challenges
The advisory comes after extensive consultations involving various stakeholders, including IT firms, legal experts, and representatives from social media platforms. Led by Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, these discussions highlighted the imperative nature of adhering to existing laws and regulations, particularly in the wake of the rising threat posed by deepfakes.

Utilizing advanced artificial intelligence, deepfakes generate highly realistic audio-visual content, often deployed to spread false information and disrupt societal harmony. The minister stressed the urgency for intermediaries to swiftly remove such misleading content from their platforms, ensuring a safe and secure digital environment for users.

Upholding Compliance
The advisory serves as a reinforcement of digital intermediaries’ responsibilities under the IT Rules. It mandates platforms to transparently communicate their rules, regulations, privacy policies, and user agreements, not solely during registration but also at regular intervals thereafter. Additionally, it stresses the significance of informing users about the legal repercussions under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the IT Act 2000 for violations related to specified user harms or prohibited content.

The issuance of this advisory underscores the government’s commitment to combatting misinformation and safeguarding the integrity of digital spaces, urging stringent compliance from social media platforms in line with regulatory frameworks.

VoM News Desk

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