India takes stand against deepfakes, platforms to be accountable

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, India’s Minister of State for Electronics and IT has cautioned social media companies that they will be held responsible for the dissemination of AI-generated “deepfakes” on their platforms in accordance with strict regulations. The stark warning follows an advisory published by the Indian government in December ordering all social media platforms to comply with existing IT Rules on illegal content. The minister added that India is proactive in recognizing and addressing the threat of deepfakes due to its large online population base with approximately 870 million internet users.

The widespread availability of AI tools leading to the proliferation of deepfakes, poses a significant threat to democracies worldwide as they can be used to manipulate politics and elections. With India gearing up for its upcoming general election, the issue becomes even more pressing. In his interview with the Financial Times, Chandrashekhar emphasized this concern stating that “We are the world’s largest democracy [and] we are obviously deeply concerned about the impact of cross-border actors using disinformation, using misinformation, using deepfakes to cause problems in our democracy,”

Furthermore, the minister also highlighted that India’s approach to tech regulation lies between the free market approach of the US and the citizen-oriented approach of Europe. While India values and encourages innovation, it also aims to safeguard its small businesses and users. As such, India is at the forefront of demanding companies to assume greater responsibility and accountability in ensuring that no illegal activities take place on their platforms.