Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that for a vast and connected country like India, fake news and misinformation is a “very problematic issue” for holding safe, free and fair elections.

On combating fake news and misinformation, he said social media platforms are being monitored to take corrective action in the next 7-10 days in line with “advice” issued by the government.

The minister also promised that their passivity could lead to more “normative” changes to IT regulations.

In an interview with PTI, Chandrasekhar, who is Minister of State for IT and Electronics, said the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, creation of complaint bodies and a Stricter accountability imposed on digital platforms for user security are some of the major achievements. for PTI. 2023.

We are now on WhatsApp. Click to join.

But Chandrasekhar said the Digital India Act (which will replace the 22-year-old Information Technology Act), despite extensive initial consultations, “is running out of time” and called it a “program unfinished”.

“…The Digital India Act, which we worked hard on…we spent almost a year in pre-consultations…we ran out of time…things like that happen but of course it's not over, it's not not complete But DIA principles, the fact that we have advocated for this new framework and the fact that everyone is starting to understand some of the principles that we have put forward during this consultation is certainly an encouraging thing, ”said the minister , adding that this is something that the government will do. inspect.

India will hold general elections early next year and the DIA law is expected to be passed only after the 2024 elections and the formation of a government.

Addressing the issue of deepfakes, the minister said that for a vast and connected country like India, which is the world's largest democracy, deepfakes are “of course a very, very problematic issue in terms of secure elections, free and fair”.

Furthermore, it calls into question the right to personal liberty and life of individuals who may be subjected to false information distorting their character, statements or behavior.

The government has raised concerns over misinformation and falsification of information (deepfakes) on social media and other digital platforms, and warned of problems that could arise in a democratic country like India . Unfortunately, the platform did not heed the warnings or take the necessary steps to prosecute or block users who broke the law, requiring counseling, he said.

“They should do a lot to pursue and block people who break the rules. They don't do any of that. “It is becoming increasingly clear that deepfakes are trying to influence election results,” Chandrasekhar said.

The Prime Minister signaled that this was a real problem that needed to be addressed, and the IT Ministry held two rounds of consultations with intermediaries and issued recommendations to platforms detailing immediate actions.

“We will monitor intermediaries for 7-15 days after they return from vacation… and if they still take no action, we will fundamentally change the IT rules and notify them of these IT rule changes to be as accurate as possible . “even if the recommendations are normative in nature,” declared the Minister of Finance.

The comments are important as they highlight the government's tough stance on the issue, amid growing concerns over AI-powered deepfakes. Earlier this week, the government ordered all platforms to comply with IT regulations and ordered companies to inform users clearly and precisely about prohibited content.

Until now, the government has deliberately avoided using prescriptive standards because it believes that establishing barriers and regulations would encourage intermediaries to comply. “But it turns out… some do and some don't… so those who haven't yet need to read the advice and follow the advice, and if they don't, we'll review it and you will make it known if necessary…, new IT rules” – he said.

This notice aims to help platforms better comply with IT regulations, and if companies do not respond, the government will adopt it into law.

Asked if domestic social media platforms had taken the initiative to follow the government's guidelines on deepfakes, the minister replied: “I think it's clear that some of the more video-centric platforms India have a greater respect for the law than someone who is subject to the law. law. ” to external jurisdictions which are still in the “twilight zone” regarding the laws to be respected.

The government has taken tough action against social media platforms after several “deepfake” videos targeting high-profile actors, including Rashmika Mandanna, sparked public outrage and raised concerns over the use of the technology to create false content and dangerous narratives.

The center asked platforms to take strict action against deepfakes and align their terms of service and community guidelines with applicable IT rules and regulations. The government has made it clear that any non-compliance will be severely punished and will result in legal consequences.