Govt to meet social media platforms on deepfake issue: Ashwini Vaishnaw

The government will meet social media and internet intermediaries next week to brainstorm the ways in which the spread of deep fake photos and videos can be contained, union electronics and information technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Vaishnaw said that all the platforms had responded to the notices that were issued to them to take stern action against such content.

“We will make sure that the platforms make adequate efforts for cleaning up against such content. The regulations are already there. The immunity which the platforms have, which is the safe harbour clause, which is there in the IT Act, will not be applicable if the platforms do not take adequate efforts,” Vaishnaw said.


The platforms, he said, should be able to combat such content as they have developed the necessary tools to spot and remove deep-fake content, both proactively and after being informed, he said.

ET had on Saturday reported that the government would re-issue an advisory to social media and internet intermediaries asking them to take strict action against deep-fake content.

Senior officials from the IT ministry had then told ET that though content made using such technology would continue to be used, platforms would have to be cautious about allowing such content, especially if were related to a prominent public personality.

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue, referring to a fake video which showed him playing the Garba dance. Warning that deep fakes have the potential to cause great harm by spreading misinformation, he said it was a serious threat.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had sent an advisory to all social media and internet intermediaries asking them to take strict action on any deep-fake content under the provisions of the IT Rules and IT Act.