India to have actionable plan to counter deep fake in 10 days: Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

In response to recent incidents, the Indian government has officially recognized deep fake technology as a significant threat to democracy. Taking proactive measures, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, conducted a comprehensive meeting today with key representatives from social media platforms, leading AI companies, and esteemed professors in the field of AI technology.

The primary focus of the meeting was to devise effective regulations and guidelines to combat the alarming rise of deep fake content. Minister Vaishnaw stressed the urgency of addressing this issue, stating, "Deep fakes pose a severe threat to democracy, spreading rapidly through social media without proper checks. It is imperative that we take urgent steps to instill trust in society and safeguard our democratic principles."

As a part of its strategic response, India is set to implement a four-pillar action plan to counter deep fake proliferation. The key objectives include the detection of deep fake and misinformation, prevention of their spread, strengthening reporting mechanisms, and raising public awareness. The government aims to finalize the draft of regulations within the next couple of weeks.

"We had a productive meeting with representatives from social media platforms, leading AI companies, and AI experts. Within the next 10 days, we plan to unveil a clear and actionable plan, structured around the four pillars," Minister Vaishnaw announced.

“As all of us are aware, deep fakes are the worst new threat to democracy. The use of social media is ensuring that deep fake can spread significantly, more rapidly. Without any checks they are getting viral within few minutes of their uploading. So that's why we need to take very urgent steps to stand up trust in the society and to protect our democracy,” Vaishnaw added.

Looking ahead, the Ministry plans to convene another meeting in the first week of December to further refine and discuss the specific points that should be incorporated into the draft regulation. The collaborative effort signifies India's commitment to addressing the deep fake challenge promptly and comprehensively.

The issue of deep fakes exploded on to the public limelight recently when a fake video of Bollywood actress Rashmika Mandana emerged. In response, several prominent actors, including Amitabh Bachchan, called for legal remedies to combat this pervasive technology. Recently, also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the issue and spoke of an urgent need to battle deep fakes.

Also Read: Ashwini Vaishnaw on Deepfake menace: Govt considering penalties on both creator and platform