Rashmika Mandanna Deepfake Video: What Are The Laws Against Deepfake Videos, Morphed Pics? Know All Legal Remedies
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Rashmika Mandanna made it to the headlines earlier on Monday due to her viral deepfake video. This AI-manipulated video got everyone talking about how the technology is being misused. Soon after, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar listed laws against deepfake videos, morphed pictures and misinformation. In line with the same, we spoke to Advocate Ridhi Thakkar about the laws and actions that can be taken in such cases.
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I feel really hurt to share this and have to talk about the deepfake video of me being spread online.
Something like this is honestly, extremely scary not only for me, but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused.…
— Rashmika Mandanna (@iamRashmika) November 6, 2023
IT Minister Says Rashmika Mandanna’s Video Must Be Removed Within 36 Hours
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that as pe the IT Rules notified in April 2023, all digital platforms are legally obligated to ensure that no user posts misinformation and if such content is reported by a user or government, the same has to be removed within 36 hours. Further, the minister highlighted that if the same is not done, then the aggrieved party can take the platform to court under the concerned provisions of the Indian Penal Code. He also took the opportunity to point out that the latest deepfake technology is an even more dangerous and damaging form of misinformation and platforms need to deal with the same at the earliest.
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
Advocate Explains What Is Deepfake Technology
Discussing cyber crimes and deepfake technology, Advocate Ridhi Thakkar shared what deepfake is and revealed how it AI is used to create deepfake content. “Deepfake is a type of cybercrime in which someone’s identity is replicated using AI Technology to spread false information. Technology is used extensively to create deepfake videos, clips and other content and these are created by manipulating a video or audio clip with the help of Artificial Intelligence which is very easily accessible on the internet today. What’s worse is that it looks very convincing and it’s very difficult to tell the difference between real and fake,” said the Advocate.
Elaborating how AI is put to the wrong use to commit cyber crimes, Adv Ridhi said, “Usually, cyber criminals use facial mapping technology to create an accurate facial symmetry data and then they use it to swap the face of the person onto that of another person’s. Voice mapping technology is also used to create an exact copy of someone’s voice. As technology has grown and sophisticated tools have become accessible, we’ve seen a rise in the use of AI by cyber criminals for fraudulent activities and deepfake is just another example of its use.”
I agree and it’s scary but having the leaders we have today, the only hope is that we as a community bring a change. https://t.co/cl7lhAGN6K
— Rashmika Mandanna (@iamRashmika) November 6, 2023
Also Read: How To Identify Deepfake Videos Online Like Rashmika Mandanna’s? 10 Telltale Signs Of AI Manipulation
Lawyer Lists Laws Against Deepfake Technology
Deepfake videos are the talk of the town these days, says Advocate Ridhi Thakkar. Speaking about the laws against it, she said, “Section 66 (e) of the Information Technology Act of 2000 is applicable in the cases of deepfake technology which involve capturing, publishing or transmitting images of a person in mass media, violating their privacy. This offence is punishable with imprisonment of up to 3 years or with a fine of up to Rs 2 lakhs or with both. In such cases, the offender is punishable with imprisonment or fine but only if the accused is proven of committing the offence,” says the Advocate.
It’s truly disheartening to see how technology is being misused and the thought of what this can progress to in the future is even scarier.
Action has to be taken and some kind of law has to be enforced to protect people who have and will be a victim to this .Strength to you. https://t.co/IKIiEJtkSx— chaitanya akkineni (@chay_akkineni) November 6, 2023
What Other Legal Remedies Are Available To The Aggrieved Person In Such Cases?
Advocate Ridhi Thakkar also spoke about the legal remedies available to a person in the case of a deepfake video like Rashmika Mandanna. “If proven guilty, the accused can be convicted under the Information Technology Act of 2000. This also amounts to defamation as the person Rashmika Mandanna’s case has harmed the image of a public figure on social media which is covered in Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code and is punishable with simple imprisonment of up to 2 years or with fine or with both,” revealed the Advocate.
Deepfake technology, which can convincingly manipulate and generate fake audio and video content, poses a significant threat to the spread of misinformation and the erosion of trust in digital media.#Deepfake
— Ravi.. (@RKARaviK) November 6, 2023
However, it is important to note that so far, there is no law or rule that specifically applies to AI-manipulated content such as deepfakes.
You can’t regulate technology.
You can make laws forbidding the creation of deep fakes. But implementing that law is next to impossible.
How you will stop someone from using your face to create a deep fake and then uploading it to torrent network? That’s technologically…
— Save Invest Repeat 📈 (@InvestRepeat) November 6, 2023
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of any such cybercrime, kindly file a report with the nearest Police Station or with the Police Cyber Cell.
