Deepfakes: Government warns of potential temporary blocks for platforms and apps violating norms

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has cautioned social media platforms about potential temporary bans in India for repeated violations of regulations, particularly regarding deepfakes and prohibited content. In a meeting chaired by Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar, representatives from various platforms, including Meta, Google, Snap, Sharechat, Telegram, Reliance Jio, Koo, Samsung, and Apple, discussed measures to combat deepfakes.

A senior ministry official stated that platforms violating regulations could face consequences, including the rarely used option of temporary blocking on the Indian internet under Section 69A of the IT Act. The government emphasized the applicability of deepfakes under IT Rules, specifically Rule 3 (1) (b) (v), which addresses misleading or deceptive information, including impersonation and spreading false facts about the Central government.

During the meeting, social media platforms were presented with a deck explaining how deepfakes fall within the purview of IT Rules. The government also discussed the controversial requirement under Rule 4(2) that platforms disclose the first originator of information, raising concerns about potential implications for encryption on messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram.

The government plans to initiate a separate regulation dedicated to tackling deepfakes, as announced by Minister for Electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw. Intermediaries were informed about other IT Rules provisions, including Rule 7, which states that non-compliance may revoke safe harbor protections granted to platforms under the IT Act.

Platforms were given a seven-day deadline to align their terms of service and policies with Indian laws and regulations to address the hosting of deepfakes. Rule 7 of the IT Rules also designates an officer to establish a mechanism for users to submit complaints about deepfakes, with MeitY potentially assisting aggrieved users in filing FIRs in such cases. Platforms, including Meta, Google, Snap, Sharechat, Telegram, Reliance Jio, Koo, Samsung, and Apple, were contacted for comments, and this article will be updated with their responses.