IT Ministry warns social media platforms on deepfakes

After a so-called ‘deepfake’ video clip of the actor, Rashmika Mandanna, went viral on social media platforms like Instagram, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has now sent notices to “all social media intermediaries,” reminding them that impersonation online is illegal, said a press release.

After a so-called ‘deepfake’ video clip of the actor, Rashmika Mandanna, went viral on social media platforms like Instagram, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has now sent notices to “all social media intermediaries,” reminding them that impersonation online is illegal, said a press release.

Earlier, the actor had issued a statement expressing horror. The seconds-long clip, which featured Ms. Mandanna’s likeness, showed a woman entering a lift in a bodysuit.

The original video featured a British-Indian model, who had posted the clip on Instagram last October.

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The Ministry warned platforms to take such content down within 36 hours, a requirement outlined in the IT Rules, 2021. It also urged that “due diligence is exercised and reasonable efforts are made to identify misinformation and deepfakes”.

Ms. Mandanna expressed horror earlier on Monday at the video, calling the experience of the clip going viral scary. While she had support from the public and her family this time, she said, “If this happened to me when I was in school or college, I genuinely can’t imagine how could I ever tackle this.”

Meta did not respond to queries seeking comment on the incident.