2024-03-09 17:06:22
New Delhi: Be it Elon Musk’s ‘X’ or Mark Zuckerberg’s ‘Meta’. The government is in no mood to tolerate anything wrong. Deepfake is also one such area about which the government is concerned. This is a technology that can be used with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create real-like fake videos or photos of people. Regarding this, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has issued a strict advisory to social media platforms like ‘X’ and ‘Meta’. In this, they have been advised to be cautious about the spread of deepfakes. The advisory states that these platforms should immediately remove any deepfakes. Misuse of deepfakes comes under the IT Act and rules.
Law can be made after elections
The government’s concern over deepfakes can also be understood from the statement of Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnav. He said that the government has asked digital platforms to provide technology to curb misinformation that harms society and democracy. The legal framework against deepfakes and misinformation will be finalized after the Lok Sabha elections.
What is deepfake?
Using AI to misrepresent a person in a video is called deepfake. Deepfakes are a type of deception that can be used to spread misinformation or damage someone’s reputation. They can also be used to interfere in elections or spread social unrest. The increasing spread of deepfakes and misinformation has become a matter of great concern. One reason for this is the lack of global regulatory infrastructure. In December last year, the Government of India had issued instructions to major social media platforms including X, Meta, Alphabet (Google). It appealed to remove deepfakes and follow the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
PM Modi has also expressed concern
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also expressed his concern about deepfakes. He called it one of the biggest threats to the Indian system. He was concerned that deepfakes could be used to create or distort the images of celebrities and MPs for political gain.
Earlier this month, a deepfake of veteran industrialist Mukesh Ambani was circulated online. In this, AI voice cloning technology was used to promote the share market community. This highlighted the potential threat from deepfakes. Legal agencies and regulators are concerned about the harm that deepfakes can cause to society. This includes the spread of misinformation, damage to reputation and interference in elections.