Amended IT Rules To Be Introduced Within 7-8 Days: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

The Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, on Tuesday revealed plans to introduce amended IT rules within the next seven to eight days. Chandrasekhar disclosed this information following two rounds of Digital India dialogues with various intermediaries.

During these dialogues, the government emphasised the existing IT rules and outlined potential consequences for non-compliance. An advisory was issued, coupled with a warning that if satisfaction with compliance is not achieved, the authorities will introduce newly amended rules, specifically targeting issues related to misinformation and deep fakes.

Addressing the growing concern of deepfakes, Chandrasekhar asserted on Monday that the government is set to implement stricter regulations under the IT Act. He expressed gratitude to Sachin Tendulkar for bringing attention to a fabricated video, highlighting the potential threats deepfakes pose to the safety and trust of Indian users. Chandrasekhar emphasised the necessity for platforms to adhere to the advisory issued by the Centre.

Tendulkar also took a stand, cautioning his followers about the fake video and urging people to report such misleading applications, videos, and advertisements.

Deepfakes, the focus of the impending regulations, involve digitally manipulated media created using artificial intelligence to convincingly misrepresent or impersonate individuals.

Last month, the government mandated all platforms to comply with IT rules, requiring companies to transparently inform users about prohibited content. The Centre urged platforms to take decisive action against deepfakes, aligning their terms of use and community guidelines with current IT Rules and laws. Non-compliance was sternly warned, emphasising the imposition of legal consequences.