New Delhi, November 23: In response to the escalating menace of deepfake technology, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology and Communications, Ashwini Vaishnaw, spearheaded a meeting with key stakeholders, including social media platforms, government officials, and cybersecurity experts. Minister Vaishnaw said, "We need to take very urgent steps as far as possible either legal, regulatory or technological. We need to take all kinds of steps. We had a detailed meeting with all the social media platforms today. Everybody has accepted the seriousness of this threat. Deepfake has emerged as a huge social threat today. We had long and very candid discussions".

The high-level discussions, marked by urgency, centred around formulating a comprehensive strategy to combat the challenges posed by deepfake content. Deepfake Video Controversy: File FIR if Hit by Deepfakes, Take Platforms to Court if They Take No Action, Says Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

Vaishnaw said, "We've to focus on four aspects-detection, prevention, reporting mechanism of deep fake and awareness needs to be increased. New regulations will be brought and in the coming weeks, efforts will be made to complete the drafting of regulations". During the meeting, Minister Vaishnaw emphasized the need for immediate action and revealed a consensus among all stakeholders. He also mentioned that the next meeting on the issue of 'Deepfake' will be held in the first week of December. Focusing on four pillars- Detection, Prevention, Strengthening the Mechanism and Awareness.

The minister underscored the gravity of the deepfake threat, stating, "Deepfake has emerged as a new threat in society. We need to take immediate steps."

Ashwini Vaishnaw Chairs Meeting With Key Stakeholders Regarding Deefake Issue

Acknowledging the collaborative effort required, he disclosed that regulations addressing these concerns would be drafted promptly. Vaishnaw said, "Deep fake has emerged as a new threat in the society. We need to take immediate steps. Today a meeting was held with social media platforms. We've to focus on four aspects-detection, prevention, and reporting mechanism of deep fake and awareness needs to be increased. New regulations will be brought and in the coming weeks, efforts will be made to complete the drafting of regulations. Social media companies, NASSCOM, and professors working on Artificial intelligence (AI) were also present in today's meeting."

The minister also highlighted the key aspects to be addressed in combating deepfake technology, including detection, prevention, reporting mechanisms, and the imperative to raise awareness. "We have all agreed that within the next about 10 days, we will come up with clear actionable items...All the companies, all the platforms, and the entire industry understood that this is not free speech. They understood that this is something which is really harmful for the society. They understood the need for much heavier regulation on this. So we agree that we will start drafting the regulation today. We'll start drafting the regulations today itself. And within a very short time frame, we will have a new set of regulations for deep fake" the Minister said. Deepfake Issue: 'Safe Harbour' Clause Doesn't Apply if Platforms Do Not Take Adequate Steps to Remove Deepfakes, Says Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Social media companies, NASSCOM, and AI professors actively participated in the discussions, indicating a united front against the growing threat.

Looking ahead, Minister Vaishnaw announced the initiation of drafting regulations, and a follow-up meeting on deepfake concerns is scheduled for the first week of December. The proactive stance taken by the government underscores the gravity of the deepfake issue and the commitment to safeguarding against its detrimental impacts.

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