‘Notifying tighter rules soon,’ says IT Min Chandrasekhar after Sachin Tendulkar's viral deepfake video

Electronics and Information Technology Minister, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, announced that the Ministry of IT will be implementing “tighter rules” in response to cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar’s raised concerns about a deepfake video circulating online. The video features an impersonator of Tendulkar promoting an online game, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to create a deceptive portrayal.

Thank you @sachin_rt for this tweet #DeepFakes and misinformation powered by #AI are a threat to Safety&Trust of Indian users and represents harm & legal violation that platforms hv to prevent and take down.

Recent Advisory by @GoI_MeitY requires platforms to comply wth this… https://t.co/DGe2utFjBM

— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@RajeevRC_X) January 15, 2024

Chandrasekhar took to X to express gratitude to Sachin Tendulkar for bringing attention to the issue. In his post, the minister highlighted the threat posed by deepfake technology using AI, emphasizing the potential harm and legal violations that such content can inflict on Indian users. Chandrasekhar referred to a recent advisory by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), urging platforms to comply with regulations. He stated, “We will be shortly notifying tighter rules under the IT Act to ensure compliance by platforms.” The fabricated video features an individual impersonating Sachin Tendulkar, endorsing a real money gaming app and providing information on how users can easily earn money through the application. Tendulkar responded on X, denouncing the video as fake and expressing concern over the widespread misuse of technology. He urged users to report such videos, ads, and apps, tagging relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Electronics & IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and Maharashtra Cyber. Deepfake uses AI to create counterfeit videos, enabling creators to make individuals appear to say or do things they did not in reality. The incidents of deepfakes have surged in recent months, affecting various celebrities such as Rashmika Mandanna, Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, and Ratan Tata. Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw addressed the issue, revealing that notices had been issued to all major social media companies, instructing them to take necessary measures to identify and remove disinformation from their platforms. Vaishnaw emphasized the severity of the deepfake problem and reported that social media platforms were responding to the notices, with ongoing efforts to be more proactive in addressing this cybercrime. (With inputs from agencies)