India has issued a warning to tech companies that it will impose bans if they do not take active measures against fake videos that are created using artificial intelligence.
The warning comes after a fake advertisement featuring the image of a popular personality in India, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, promoting the use of an online gambling platform.
These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology. Request everyone to report videos, ads & apps like these in large numbers.
Social Media platforms need to be alert and responsive to complaints. Swift action from their end is crucial to stopping the… pic.twitter.com/4MwXthxSOM
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 15, 2024
Deputy Information Technology Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the ministry plans to amend IT rules by next week to create clear laws to counter fake technology in the media space.
“If a platform thinks that they can get away without taking down deepfake videos, or merely maintain a casual approach to it, we have the power to protect our citizens by blocking such platforms,” Chandrasekhar told a press conference.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State at Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
He further said that the ministry has informed the technology platforms that if they fail to effectively tackle the issue, it will lead to legal consequences.
The deputy minister also said that such content is illegal, dangerous and unacceptable.
Once again, deepfakes grabbed attention in India as cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar issued a warning on social media this week.
He cautioned his numerous fans about fraudulent video advertisements that falsely portrayed him endorsing an online gambling platform.
“It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology. Social media platforms need to be alert and responsive to complaints. Swift action from their end is crucial to stopping the spread of misinformation and deepfakes”, he wrote in a post.
In the previous year, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized that technology platforms acknowledged the seriousness of deepfake content.
He stated that these platforms agreed that such media should not be protected under free speech defenses.
