No Need to Feel Tackling Deepfakes is Impossible: MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar | Exclusive

Union Minister of State for Electronics & Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar, in an exclusive interview to CNN-News18, said that there was no need to feel that tackling deepfakes was impossible.

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“Sophistication of tech will run ahead, it is natural, but the issue can be tackled with existing laws…There is no need to feel that tackling deepfakes is impossible,” said Chandrasekhar.

“Since October 2022, and even before in May 2021, the government amended the Information Technology (IT) Act to make Rule 31B(5), which makes the platforms legally liable to ensure no fake information, which includes deepfakes, is allowed on their medium.”

Chandrasekhar elaborated: “Platforms need to be very clear about alerting their users and about the fact that users cannot put out these type of contents and if that they do they will be debarred from the platform. Today, in the meeting, platforms agreed that current rules and laws do provide for them not to allow deepfakes. We have power under the act, they have obligation under the law, so that the users of the platforms don’t create deepfakes. If they choose not to take action against deepfakes, the government will do what they need to do to invoke rule 7.”

The MoS said that the government will roll out a campaign in the next few days to make the rights and obligations clear to all users, digital nagriks and the platforms.

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ZERO TOLERANCE

Chandrasekhar said the government will take zero tolerance view on deepfakes. “We also plan to launch a new platform to file complaints. Anybody aggrieved by a deepfake can approach the platform to remove it… We will make it very easy for a digital nagrik to reach out to the government and inform about violation of law by a platform. We will nominate Rule 7 officer who will then invoke it, which will make it easy for the platform to be prosecuted under criminal or civil law, as the case maybe.”

“It will be done very soon. It will be very similar to a JAC and will be totally digital. There will be no need for anybody to approach the government for this. If the platforms think that it is a small user and the process will be tedious, I have made it clear that the government will stand by digital nagriks and help in filing the FIR and prosecution. Our idea is not to get more cases into the system, but a legal process can’t start without a complaint,” he said.

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“The punishment part will be determined by the court. The government will not prescribe it. The complainant and government will file complaints, but the court will have to adjudicate. Platforms will have 36 hours after a complaint is brought to their attention. I feel this is too much time, but the platforms said they need it,” he said.

‘PLATFORMS DID NOT DO ENOUGH IN THE LAST ONE YEAR’

The MoS added: “Twelve types of content is not permitted on platforms. The platforms should be clear about alerting their own users and warn them of being disbarred for flouting the norm. The platforms have not aligned their own terms of use. They did not do enough in the past one year.”