Rashmika Mandanna video: IT Ministry issues advisory to social media platforms
The advisory came as the Congress wrote to union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
Updated: Nov 7th, 2023
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| Rashmika Mandanna | Image: IANS |
The IT Ministry today issued an advisory to social media platforms after the controversy erupted over a morphed video of actor Rashmika Mandanna that went viral on the social media.
MeitY sent advisories to social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, to take down fake content generated via artificial intelligence (AI) within 24 hours.
According to sources, the advisory reiterated existing legal provisions that platforms have to follow as online intermediaries. It reiterated the existing rules under the Information Technology Act, 2000, including punishment for cheating by personation by using computer resources, imprisonment of up to 3 years and a fine of up to ₹1 lakh.
“IT Intermediary Rules: Rule 3(1)(b)(vii): Social media intermediary shall observe due diligence including ensuring the rules and regulations, privacy policy or user agreement of the intermediary inform users not to host any content that impersonates another person,” according to the advisory.
The advisory came as the Congress wrote to union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, saying such deep fakes pose a severe threat to individuals’ privacy and security and demanded for a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework in India to tackle the challenges posed by the technology.
File FIR if hit by deep fakes, says IT minister
Union minister of state for electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said today that those who find themselves impacted by AI-generated deepfakes should file first information reports (FIRs) at nearest police stations and avail the remedies provided under the Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021 and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The minister said that given the significant challenges posed by misinformation and deepfakes, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a second advisory within the last six months, calling upon online platforms to take decisive actions against the spread of deepfakes.
“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,” Chandrasekhar said in a statement.
It is a legal obligation for online platforms to prevent the spread of misinformation by any user under the Information Technology (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 Indian Penal Code (IPC),” the minister said.
He stressed that it is imperative that platforms take proactive measures to combat this threat.
“For those who find themselves impacted by deepfakes, I strongly encourage you to file First Information Reports (FIRs) at your nearest police station,” said Chandrasekhar.
After Mandanna strongly reacted against her deep fake video, a new morphed picture of actress Katrina Kaif from ‘Tiger 3’ is now doing the rounds on social media.
(Source: IANS)
-Edited for style
