LI Network
Published on: November 08, 2023 at 11:38 IST
The IT Ministry has recently issued an advisory to various social media platforms in response to a controversy surrounding a manipulated video featuring actor Rashmika Mandanna that went viral on these platforms.
The advisory was sent to platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, urging them to promptly remove fake content generated through artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, with a requirement to do so within 24 hours.
This advisory reaffirms the importance of adhering to existing legal provisions that social media platforms must follow as online intermediaries.
It emphasizes the relevance of the Information Technology Act of 2000, which includes penalties for activities like cheating through impersonation using computer resources, which could lead to imprisonment for up to 3 years and a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh.
Specifically, the advisory points to Rule 3(1)(b)(vii) of the IT Intermediary Rules, which states that social media intermediaries should exercise due diligence in ensuring that their rules, regulations, privacy policies, and user agreements inform users not to host content that impersonates another person.
This advisory comes in the wake of concerns raised by the Congress, who wrote to Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, highlighting the significant threat that deepfake content poses to individuals’ privacy and security. The Congress has called for the establishment of a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework in India to address the challenges associated with this technology.
In light of these developments, it’s worth noting that another morphed image, this time featuring actress Katrina Kaif from the movie ‘Tiger 3,’ has surfaced on social media after Rashmika Mandanna strongly expressed her opposition to the deepfake video. These incidents underscore the growing concerns surrounding manipulated content on social media platforms.
