The government has summoned social media giants over the issue of deepfakes, the move coming within days of a massive controversy over a fake video of actress Rashmika Mandanna.
“Social media giants such as Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube are among companies that have been asked to present and give their views on the matter, especially as these are the platforms that are used to amplify any such distorted content,” a source said, adding that the matter will be looked into by the IT ministry and other relevant ministries.
According to sources, the administration is "extremely concerned" about the domino impact of any such fakes, particularly in light of the upcoming national elections that take place next year as well as the ongoing elections in several states.
The government is responding quickly to the issue of deepfakes, particularly after Mandanna's edited video went viral on social media.
“Certain views were given by the social media companies on the matter, and the government now wants to discuss these – as well as provisions within the IT Act – during the proposed meeting,” a source said.
Section 66 D of the IT Act, 2000, provides for punishment - which can be imprisonment for up to three years and fine up to Rs 100,000 - for those found cheating by personation by using computer resources.
The government has requested that social media companies do their due diligence, which includes verifying compliance with laws, privacy policies, user agreements, and alerting users not to host any content that falsely represents another person.