Govt may introduce law against deepfakes, misinformation: MoS
Although the internet & AI are empowering, they are being used to “cause harm, to cause chaos in society…” the minister said.
The government may consider introducing a new law to deal with deepfakes and misinformation, Union minister of state electronics and technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar, said on Tuesday. Separately, the IT ministry has called two meetings with executives of social media firms, on Thursday and Friday.
The meeting on Thursday, to be held in Rail Bhawan, will focus on the issue of manipulated images and videos. The meeting on Friday, called by Chandrasekhar, will focus on general compliance with IT rules.
Although the internet and artificial intelligence are empowering, they are being used to “cause harm, to cause chaos in society, to cause disorder, to incite violence”, the minister said. Deepfakes are “a very important, clear and present danger” to Indian internet users, Chandrasekhar said.
“We have already worked very hard and created the IT Rules in April 2023. We will continue to create a framework, including but not limited to, if necessary, a new legislation to ensure that deepfakes or misinformation at large do not pose a threat… to the safety and trust of 1.2 billion Indians who will be on the Indian internet,” he told ANI news agency.
