Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar reminded the social media platforms of their legal obligations to fight misinformation, acknowledging a viral deepfake video featuring actor Rashmika Mandanna. The video originally featured Zara Patel, a British-Indian influencer, but her face changes to that of the actor in the deepfake.
Under the IT rules notified in April, 2023 – it is a legal obligation for platforms to ensure no misinformation is posted by any user and to remove that when reported by any user or government, he said. If platforms do not comply with this, they can be taken to court by the aggrieved person under the provisions of Indian Penal Code, added the minister. “Deep fakes are latest and even more dangerous and damaging form of misinformation and needs to be dealt with by platforms,” said Chandrasekhar.
Deepfakes are photos or videos altered to replace a person or an element using Artificial Intelligence. In recent days, they have become a major source of misinformation and are often associated with fake viral posts.In the current case, Zara Patel – who has over 400,000 followers on Instagram – had last month shared the video that showed her entering a lift in a black outfit. The face soon changes to that of Rashmika Mandanna as she is seen entering the lift.