The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has proposed amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021) by exercising power under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act).
Key Proposed Amendments:
- Defining Synthetically Generated Information (commonly known as deepfake or AI-generated Content): It is information that is artificially or algorithmically created, generated, modified or altered using a computer resource, in a manner that appears reasonably authentic or true.
- Mandatory Declaration: Content creators must clearly label all AI-generated or modified content before upload.
- Enhanced Obligations for Significant Social Media Intermediaries(SSMIs): E.g., Obtain a user declaration on whether uploaded information is synthetically generated
Need of Proposed Amendments
- National Security Risk: Deepfakes can be used for spreading propaganda by anti-national forces, terrorist recruitment, etc.
- Spreading Misinformation: E.g., Used to spread false narratives, manipulate public opinion, and influence elections.
- Gender-Based Harm: E.g., Deepfakes frequently targets women, leading to non-consensual explicit content and harassment.
- Defamation: Can damage the reputation of individuals or institutions through fabricated videos or statements.
- Fraud & Impersonation: Enables identity theft, financial scams, and social engineering attacks. E.g., Deepfake phishing
