Government advises social media platforms to comply with IT rules in order to crack down on deepfakes.

In response to increasing worries about deepfakes, the government has instructed all platforms to adhere to IT regulations. Companies are now required to clearly notify users about forbidden content and have been warned that failure to comply will result in legal repercussions.

In the coming weeks, the Ministry of Information Technology will closely monitor the compliance of intermediaries (social media and digital platforms) and, if necessary, will decide on further changes to IT rules or the law, the official announcement says.

The government has made it clear to the platforms that if legal violations of IT rules are detected or reported, there will be legal consequences.

The message highlights the tightening of the government’s view on the matter, because of the growing concerns caused by false information produced by AI – Deepfakes.

Earlier, several “deepfake” videos targeting leading actors went viral, sparking public outrage and concern about misuse of technology and tools to create duplicate content and fake narratives.

According to the advice, intermediaries – such as WhatsApp, Facebook, X and others – will clearly and precisely convey the prohibited content defined in the IT rules to users.

“The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) has issued an advisory to all brokers to ensure compliance with current IT rules,” the official release said.

The publication says that the directive specifically targets the growing concern about false information used by artificial intelligence – Deepfakes.

This advisory is a culmination of discussions held by Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar with brokers on the issue.

“Content that is not allowed by the IT Rules, in particular the content listed in Rule 3(1) b), must be communicated to users in a clearly clear and precise language, including through its terms of service and user agreements. will be expressly communicated to the user at the time of first registration and also as regular reminders, in particular every when logging in and when uploading/sharing data to the platform,” according to the advisory.

The advisory emphasizes that digital intermediaries must ensure that users are informed about penal provisions, including provisions of the IPC and the IT Act, 2000.

Additionally, the advisor stated that the terms of service and user agreements must clearly emphasize that brokers/environments are required to report violations of law to law enforcement authorities in accordance with applicable Indian laws.

“Rule 3(1)(b) of the due diligence section of the IT Rules requires brokers to disclose their rules, regulations, privacy policy and user agreement in the language of the user’s preference,” it said.

In this context, it is pertinent to mention that Rule 3(1)(b)(v) expressly prohibits the dissemination of false information and manifestly false information.

Digital platforms are required to ensure reasonable efforts to prevent users from “hosting, displaying, uploading, editing, publishing, transmitting, storing, updating or sharing any information related to the listed 11 user harm or prohibited content” on digital intermediaries.

The aim of the rule is to ensure that platforms identify and promptly remove false information, false or misleading content and material impersonating others, including deep fakes.

During the last month, the minister is in a meeting with industry leaders about deep counterfeiting. He has emphasized that all platforms and brokers must strictly comply with the laws and regulations in force. He has emphasized that the IT rules comprehensively deal with the threat of deep counterfeiting. .

“Misinformation is a profound threat to user security and trust on the Internet,” Chandrasekhar said, adding that deepfake, which is false information generated by artificial intelligence, further strengthens the threat to user security and trust.

“On November 17, the Prime Minister warned the country about the dangers of deep counterfeiting and announced that the ministry has held two Digital India Dialogues with all Internet stakeholders in India to alert them to the provisions of the IT Rules announced in October 2022 and amended in April 2023, which outlines 11 specific types of prohibited content on all social media brokers and platforms.”

Therefore, all brokers were requested to exercise due diligence and remove such content from their platforms without delay. He also emphasized that the platforms have been properly informed about the legal consequences of violating IT rules.

“Official advice has been issued today, which includes ‘agreed-upon’ procedures to ensure that users of these platforms do not breach the prohibited content of Regulation 3(1)(b) and if such legal breaches are detected or reported, consequences will follow according to law,” the Minister said.