The central government summoned online platforms, including Google, Facebook, and YouTube, on November 24 to warn them that serious action will be taken against them if they do not remove deepfakes from their sites, according to Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
The Union Minister stated that the government will notify the platforms about how it views deepfakes and misinformation as a ‘very severe risk’ in an exclusive interview with India Today’s Group Editorial Director, Raj Chengappa. Deepfakes represent a ‘severe danger to the safety and trust that we believe we owe to the people of India and to the users of the Indian Internet,’ he stated.
Additionally, Chandrasekhar stated that if the platforms were found to be failing to remove deepfakes from their websites, they will be alerted that the Information and Technology Act’s ‘safe harbour’ provision will be revoked. Platforms are shielded legally from user-shared content by this clause.
The Union Minister did clarify, though, that the protection provided by the section is subject to the platforms’ removal of deepfakes that are placed on their websites within 36 hours of being made aware of them. According to Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the harmed party may take the platforms to court and criminally prosecute them under the Indian Penal Code or the IT Act if the deepfake in question is not deleted within that time frame.
He went on to say that under the IPC, it is illegal to impersonate someone.
Post Your Comments