Delhi Police on Saturday arrested the main accused behind the deepfake video of actor Rashmika Mandanna, which went viral on social media platforms. The deepfake video, which looked very real triggered a debate around the misuse of technology with several influential celebrities raising their concerns. In the viral video, Rashmika Mandanna’s face was used in a video of British influencer Zara Patel.
The police registered a case in the matter under sections 465 and 469 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 which deals with forgery and maligning the reputation of a person. Sections 66C (identity theft) and 66E (privacy violation) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 were also invoked by the police in the matter.
Rashmika Mandanna is not the only celebrity to fall prey to the menace of deepfake videos as celebrities like actor Alia Bhatt, Kajol, legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, etc. went through the same ordeal. The internet is now filled with artificial intelligence (AI) generated fake videos and audio.
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Some businesses are also misusing the technology to create deepfake videos of celebrities endorsing their brand. Sachin Tendulkar recently shared a deepfake video where he can be seen promoting a gaming application and even claiming that his daughter Sara Tendulkar is making good money after playing games on the mobile application.
“These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology. Request everyone to report videos, ads & apps like these in large numbers. Social media platforms need to be alert and responsive to complaints. Swift action from their end is crucial to stopping the spread of misinformation and fake news. @GoI_MeitY, @Rajeev_GoI, and @MahaCyber1,” Sachin Tendulkar wrote on X.
Amendments to the Information Technology Act
According to IndiaToday, the Indian government at the highest levels has taken serious note of the misuse of technology to create deepfake videos. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his concerns about such incidents and Union Minister of State for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that the government is mulling over amendments in the Information Technology Act to deal with such cases.
“Thank you @sachin_rt for this tweet. #DeepFakes and misinformation powered by #AI are a threat to Safety&Trust of Indian users and represent harm & legal violation that platforms have to prevent and take down. Recent Advisory by @GoI_MeitY requires platforms to comply with this 100%. We will be shortly notifying tighter rules under the IT Act to ensure compliance by platforms,” Rajeev Chandrasekhar said in response to Sachin Tendulkar’s deepfake video.
