GoI Intensifies Efforts to Combat Misinformation, Deep Fakes on Internet

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 1st August. The Government of India, through the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), has reaffirmed its commitment to preventing the spread of misinformation, including deep fakes, on the internet. This was highlighted in a written reply by the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, Jitin Prasada, to a question in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

MeitY regularly engages with the public and various stakeholders to receive inputs and suggestions regarding necessary changes to existing legislation and the introduction of new laws. In alignment with this commitment, MeitY has notified the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which were initially implemented on 25 February 2021 and subsequently amended on 28 October 2022 and 6 April 2023.

The IT Rules, 2021 place specific obligations on intermediary platforms to prevent the hosting, sharing, uploading, or transmission of prohibited information, including misinformation and patently false information on the Indian Internet. This includes content that impersonates others or constitutes deep fakes, a form of misinformation generated by Artificial Intelligence.

Under these rules, any user can submit a grievance to the Grievance Officer of the concerned intermediary if they encounter unlawful information. The intermediary is required to act swiftly within the timelines prescribed by the IT Rules, 2021, upon receiving such requests.

Additionally, the government has established Grievance Appellate Committees to provide a platform for users and victims to appeal against decisions made by the Grievance Officers of intermediaries. Appeals can be filed online at www.gac.gov.in.