Need for strong law against deepfakes

In recent months, many have flagged concern over the misuse of deepfakes in India. The misuse of artificial intelligence is real. The misuse of deepfake technology is one of the most significant concerns. A person’s reputation can be destroyed by using this technology. It seems that now the concern raised by citizens has been taken note of by the government of India. The government of India announced that it will bring in a regulation at the earliest on deepfakes and attempts will be made to have a draft ready within a few weeks.

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday announced that accountability for such content will lie both with the creators and the platforms on which it has been hosted. He said that the government will also look at penalties for both creators and platforms. Some kind of measure was needed to check the misuse of deepfakes. The government has initiated action at an appropriate time. Apart from strengthening the law, generating awareness among the public about deepfakes and its potential misuse should be properly propagated. Large-scale awareness programmes, involving celebrities, should be launched, so that people are educated about deepkfakes.