Deepfakes: File FIRs, use remedies under IT Rules, says Union IT Ministry
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New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday advised victims of AI-generated deepfakes to file FIRs at nearest police stations and avail the remedies provided under the IT Rules, 2021 and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The minister said that the Electronics and IT Ministry has issued an advisory calling upon online platforms including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, to take decisive actions against the spread of deepfakes. This is the second advisory within the last six months.
The advisory comes in the wake of recent incidents involving manipulated videos of celebrities like Rashmika Mandanna and Katrina Kaif.
In a statement, Chandrasekhar said, “Deepfakes are a major violation and harm women in particular. Our government takes the responsibility of safety and trust of all nagriks very very seriously, and more so about our children and women who are targeted by such content".
It is a legal obligation for online platforms to prevent the spread of misinformation by any user under the IT Rules, 2021.
"They are further mandated to remove such content within 36 hours upon receiving a report from either a user or government authority. Failure to comply with this requirement invokes Rule 7, which empowers aggrieved individuals to take platforms to court under the provisions of the IPC," he said.
Meanwhile, the Congress party had approached Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw against the growing threat of deepfakes in the country.