CENTRE SERIOUS ABOUT 'DEEPFAKES THREAT', SAYS MOS RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR

The Indian government is going to take a tough stance on the use of social media for malicious purposes, including the spread of deepfakes. In a recent statement, IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the government will assist citizens in filing FIRs against social media platforms that violate IT rules by publishing offensive content, such as deepfakes.

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Chandrashekhar also said that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) will develop a platform where users can report violations of IT rules by social media platforms. He said that MeitY will help users to “very easily” report violations and file FIRs.

The minister’s statement comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern about the recent rise in deepfakes on social media. Chandrasekhar met with social media platform operators to discuss ways to prevent deepfakes.

Chandrashekhar said that there is already a law in India that prohibits the spread of fake content on social media. However, he said that most people do not know how to use the law effectively.

He also said that social media platforms will be given seven days to align their terms of service with IT rules. This month, a deepfake of actress Rashmika Mandanna went viral on social media, sparking outrage.