New Delhi: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has proposed alterations to the IT Rules aimed at addressing the dangers posed by AI-generated content, such as deepfakes. The draft seeks to assist users in distinguishing synthetic content from authentic information and holds social media platforms accountable. According to the new regulations, major social media platforms with more than 5 million users must inquire whether the content uploaded by users is synthetic, take reasonable measures to verify these assertions, and prominently label all synthetic content to inform users that it is not genuine. These labels or markers must be clearly visible or audible, covering at least 10% of a video’s screen or the initial 10% of an audio segment.
Platforms are prohibited from removing or altering these markers. The rules also offer legal protection to platforms that act in good faith to remove or block synthetic content based on complaints or reasonable attempts. The ministry asserts that these amendments aim to enhance user awareness, increase accountability, and trace synthetic content, while still fostering innovation in AI. Feedback on the draft is open until November 6. This draft emerges as generative AI tools are rapidly proliferating, presenting risks such as misinformation, impersonation, election interference, and fraud. Policymakers in India and globally are expressing growing concern over the misuse of synthetic media for disseminating fake news, committing fraud, or creating non-consensual content.
