In a bid to tackle the escalating threat of deepfake technology to democracy and societal stability worldwide, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has taken a proactive stance. The proliferation of deepfake content through social media platforms has exacerbated the issue, prompting the ministry to sound the alarm.
Today, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Railways, Communications, and Electronics & IT, engaged in a crucial dialogue with representatives from academia, industry associations, and social media giants. The focus of the discussion centered on the imperative need for a robust response to the deepfake menace.
During the deliberations, all parties concurred on the necessity of a collaborative effort involving the government, academia, social media companies, and NASSCOM, the apex body for the Indian IT industry. Their collective mission: to combat deepfake threats effectively. It was further decided that within the next 10 days, concrete actions will be outlined in four critical areas:
- Detection: Implementing advanced techniques to identify deepfake content both before and after posting.
- Prevention: Establishing an efficient mechanism to prevent the dissemination of deepfake content.
- Reporting: Facilitating a streamlined reporting and grievance redressal system for swift action.
- Awareness: Launching a comprehensive awareness campaign to educate the masses about the dangers of deepfake technology.
Additionally, MeitY will initiate a regulatory assessment to curb the deepfake menace. The ministry will invite public input on this matter through the MyGov portal.
A follow-up meeting with key stakeholders is scheduled for the first week of December 2023 to finalize the four-pillared strategy. The Government of India remains unwavering in its commitment to harness technology and raise public awareness to counter the growing menace of deepfake threats.
