India adopts 'zero tolerance' on deepfakes, warns social media companies
What's the story
The Indian government is cracking down on deepfakes. Officials held a review meeting with social media platforms and warned of criminal consequences under existing laws. India has adopted a "zero tolerance approach" to user harm and urged platforms to align their terms of use with the country's IT rules. Ealier, on November 24, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, met with representatives from social media companies, giving them a week to take decisive action against deepfakes.
Details
Platforms granted additional time to comply
While some platforms have complied with the government's request, others have been slow to respond and were granted additional time. A source quoted by PTI said, "No platform used to doing nothing about harm would like to be told that we are going to take a 'zero tolerance approach' to harm." Social media platforms are required by IT rules to tackle harm and ensure users are aware of what is illegal and what is not.
What Next?
Final meeting on deepfake issue scheduled in 7 days
Under the CRPC, a section allows prosecution for deepfakes under "forgery," while other forms of harm have equivalent provisions under the IPC. The government will hold a final meeting in seven days to assess the situation and continue its efforts to make the internet safe and trusted for all Indians. This move highlights the importance of addressing deepfakes and other harmful content on social media platforms to protect users and maintain a secure online environment.