The Election Commission of India has issued a stern advisory to all political entities, urging them to abstain from deploying deepfakes and disseminating misinformation via social media platforms during the ongoing general elections.
This proactive step follows mounting criticism directed at the constitutional body for its perceived inaction against such deceptive campaigns in the world’s most populous democracy.
Outlined in a comprehensive advisory document released on Monday, political parties are mandated to swiftly remove any deepfake audio or video content within a three-hour window upon detection. Additionally, they are instructed to identify and admonish the individuals responsible for generating and spreading such manipulated media. This decisive move by the Election Commission comes in response to a directive from the Delhi High Court, prompted by concerns raised in a petition regarding the proliferation of deceptive content.
With India embroiled in its general elections since April 19, and the voting process slated to culminate on June 1, the electoral landscape has already been beset by controversies surrounding the misuse of deepfakes and misinformation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently voiced his dismay over the proliferation of fabricated voices purportedly attributing statements to leaders that they never uttered, characterizing this phenomenon as a concerted effort to stoke societal discord.
The Indian law enforcement agencies have taken action, apprehending several individuals associated with the social media teams of the Indian National Congress, the principal opposition party, for circulating a counterfeit video allegedly featuring Home Minister Amit Shah.
India has been grappling with the challenge of combating the proliferation of deepfakes for several months. In November, India’s IT Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, convened meetings with major social media platforms, including Meta and Google, and underscored the urgent need for regulatory interventions to curb the dissemination of deepfake content and the proliferation of apps facilitating their creation.
In a subsequent warning issued in January, another IT Minister cautioned tech companies of stringent penalties, including potential bans, for failing to proactively address the menace of deepfake videos. Despite these efforts, the nation is yet to formalize its draft regulations on deepfakes into enforceable legislation.
The Election Commission reiterated its commitment to upholding the integrity of the electoral process by repeatedly urging political parties and their leaders to exercise decorum and exercise utmost restraint in their public campaigning endeavors.