"Damaging misinformation need to be dealt...", says IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Rashmika Mandanna deepfake video

The video was shared on Instagram on October 9, featuring Zara Patel, a British-Indian girl with more than 4,00,000 followers on the platform. The video was manipulated with the help of AI. When closely noticed, it can be seen that the face of the woman changes to that of Rashmika's as soon as she enters the elevator.

New Delhi: Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar called upon social media platforms to fulfil their legal obligations in combating misinformation after the latest deepfake video involving popular actor Rashmika Mandanna went viral. Responding to the deepfake video, Rajeev Chandrasekhar took to X, to emphasise the imperative need to address such "damaging misinformation" on these platforms. He reiterated the government's commitment to ensuring the safety and trust of all digital citizens using the internet.

Chandrasekhar pointed out the legal obligations placed on social media platforms under the Information Technology (IT) rules, which were notified in April 2023. These rules mandate platforms to prevent the dissemination of misinformation and promptly remove it upon reporting by users or the government.

"PM @narendramodi ji's Govt is committed to ensuring the Safety and Trust of all Digital Nagriks using Internet, Under the IT rules notified in April 2023 - it is a legal obligation for platforms to ensure no misinformation is posted by any user and to remove that when reported by any user or government," Minister's X post read.

• PM @narendramodi ji's Govt is committed to ensuring Safety and Trust of all DigitalNagriks using Internet
  
  Under the IT rules notified in April, 2023 - it is a legal obligation for platforms to
  
  ➡️ensure no misinformation is posted by any user AND
  
  ➡️ensure that when reported by… https://t.co/IlLlKEOjtd

  — Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@Rajeev_GoI) November 6, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  PM @narendramodi ji's Govt is committed to ensuring Safety and Trust of all DigitalNagriks using Internet
  
  Under the IT rules notified in April, 2023 - it is a legal obligation for platforms to
  
  ➡️ensure no misinformation is posted by any user AND
  
  ➡️ensure that when reported by… https://t.co/IlLlKEOjtd

  — Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@Rajeev_GoI) November 6, 2023

  ">

  PM @narendramodi ji's Govt is committed to ensuring Safety and Trust of all DigitalNagriks using Internet
  
  Under the IT rules notified in April, 2023 - it is a legal obligation for platforms to
  
  ➡️ensure no misinformation is posted by any user AND
  
  ➡️ensure that when reported by… https://t.co/IlLlKEOjtd

  — Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@Rajeev_GoI) November 6, 2023

"If platforms do not comply with this, they can be taken to court by the aggrieved person under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code. Deep fakes are the latest and even more dangerous and damaging form of misinformation and need to be dealt with by platforms," added Chandrasekhar.

The viral deepfake video featuring Rashmika Mandanna has caused a significant uproar on the internet, amassing more than 14 million views since its posting. Journalist Abhishek Kumar shared the video on X, mentioning the urgent need for a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework to address deepfake incidents in India.

The original video was initially shared on Instagram on October 9, featuring Zara Patel, a British-Indian influencer with over 400,000 followers. The deepfake video displayed Zara Patel entering an elevator in a black outfit, with her face seamlessly transitioning into Rashmika Mandanna's as she entered the elevator.

What is the case? A video went viral, which purportedly showed Indian actress Rashmika Mandanna entering a lift. The video turned out to be a deepfake. This case has raised concerns about the availability of fraudulent information on social media platforms. The video first appeared to be incredibly convincing to ordinary social media users, closer examination exposes clear evidence of manipulation through AI.

What are Deepfakes? Deepfakes are created using Artificial Intelligence to manipulate photos or videos, often substituting a person's likeness. They have emerged as a significant source of misinformation in recent times, frequently associated with the spread of deceptive viral content.

In this case, Zara Patel, a popular Instagram influencer, shared a video in which her appearance was altered to resemble Rashmika Mandanna as she entered an elevator.

The incident has also grabbed the attention of influential figures like Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, who has urged for the implementation of new legal measures to address deepfake content.

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