Fake news, deepfakes threaten democracy; stricter law needed: Vaishnaw

Ashwini Vaishnaw said fake news and AI deepfakes threaten democracy, calling for a strict legal framework as the government proposes 36-hour takedowns and mandatory labelling of AI-generated content

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The growing instances of fake news and artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes pose a threat to democracy, and a strict legal framework is needed to contain the problems they cause, Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

 

Why does Vaishnaw say fake news and deepfakes threaten democracy?

 

“On social media, several such ecosystems have taken shape that do not want to follow the laws of the land, the Constitution of India. There is a need to take strict action against such ecosystems,” Vaishnaw told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

 

What draft rules has the government proposed on takedowns and AI labelling?

 

The government had recently published a draft rule seeking stakeholder comments on mandatory takedown of fake news and disinformation within 36 hours of such content being flagged, as well as the labelling of all AI-generated content, Vaishnaw said.

 

How is the government weighing free speech against protecting democracy?

 

The issues around fake news and social media involve a delicate balance between freedom of speech and the protection of India’s democracy, he said, adding that the government was working with stakeholders with “full sensitivity”.

 

What does the proposed IT Rules amendment require from users and intermediaries?

 

In October this year, the government released a draft of the proposed amendment to the Information Technology (IT) Rules, which suggests that all social media users who use artificial intelligence (AI) to generate and upload content on the internet or any social media platform declare that AI was used in the process. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has also proposed that all internet intermediaries that allow the use of AI to generate or create content “ensure that every such information is prominently labelled or embedded with a permanent unique metadata or identifier”.

 

The intermediaries should also ensure they have the tools or necessary technical measures to verify the accuracy of the user’s declaration. Further, the intermediaries should also ensure that the user declaration on the use of AI for content generation is “prominently displayed”, the IT ministry has proposed.