Union IT Minister issues warning after Rashmika Mandanna’s deepfake video goes viral
Union IT Minister issues legal obligations warning after Rasmika Mandanna’s deepfake video goes viral over the internet.
New Delhi: Union Information Technology Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has issues a stern warning to social media platforms regarding their legal obligations in the fight against misinformation. This comes in response to a viral deepfake video featuring popular actor Rashmika Mandanna. Originally, the video featured Zara Patel, a British-Indian influencer, was manipulated using deepfake technology to replace her face with that of the actor.
In a tweet, Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “PM @narendramodi ji’s Govt is committed to ensuring Safety and Trust of all Digital Nagriks using Internet 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 ensure that when reported by any user or govt, misinformation is removed in 36 hrs. If platforms do not comply with this, rule 7 will apply and platforms can be taken to court by aggrieved person under provisions of IPC. Deep fakes are latest and even more dangerous and damaging form of misinformation and needs to be dealt with by platforms.”
PM @narendramodi ji’s Govt is committed to ensuring Safety and Trust of all DigitalNagriks using Internet
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
➡️ensure that when reported by… https://t.co/IlLlKEOjtd
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@Rajeev_GoI) November 6, 2023
He emphasized that social media platforms have specific legal obligations under the Information Technology (IT) rules, which were notified in April 2023. These obligations include preventing the dissemination of misinformation and promptly removing such content upon user or government reporting.
Failure to comply with these obligations can lead to legal action under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code. The minister highlighted that deepfakes, which are increasingly being used for malicious purposes, are an even more dangerous form of misinformation, demanding immediate attention from these platforms.
Rashmika Mandanna, in a statement posted on social media, expressed her concerns over such deepfake videos. She urged the need for urgent action to combat identity theft and protect individuals from the harm caused by the misuse of technology. The actor highlighted the urgency of addressing this issue within the community, as it poses a significant threat to the privacy and security of individuals, especially women and young people.
I feel really hurt to share this and have to talk about the deepfake video of me being spread online.
Something like this is honestly, extremely scary not only for me, but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused.…
— Rashmika Mandanna (@iamRashmika) November 6, 2023
The video was also shared by Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, who emphasized the necessity for new legal measures to tackle the growing issue of deepfake technology. Rashmika Mandanna recently made her Bollywood debut alongside Amitabh Bachchan in the movie ‘Goodbye.’
In the particular case at hand, Zara Patel, an influencer with over 400,000 Instagram followers, had shared a video last month in which she appeared to enter an elevator wearing a black outfit. However, in a shocking twist, her face was replaced with that of Rashmika Mandanna as she entered the elevator.
Ms Kalinga