The government recently summoned social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube over the issue of deepfakes. The move came within days of a deepfake video of actress Rashmika Mandana which went viral on social media. The media giants were asked to give their views on the matter. The issue will also be looked into by the IT ministry and other relevant ministries.
Certain views were given by the social media companies on the matter. The government will now discuss these as well as provisions of the IT Act in the meeting proposed by it. Section 66D of the IT Act, 2000 provides for punishment of up to three years and a fine up to Rs. 1 lakh for those found cheating by personation using computer resources.
The government has asked the social media intermediaries to undertake due diligence, including ensuring that the rules and regulations and privacy policy are followed, and inform users not to host any content which impersonates another person.