The Rashmika Mandanna deepfake controversy has drawn a sharp reaction from the Centre, which has advised victims to file complaints with the police and "avail remedies provided under the Information Technology rules". In a statement today, junior IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said it is a "legal obligation" for online platforms to prevent the spread of misinformation.
"They are further mandated to remove such content within 36 hours upon receiving a report from either a user or government authority," the statement read.
In case the platform fails to comply, it draws legal action. Rule 7 of the IT Act "empowers aggrieved individuals to take platforms to court" under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code. "It is imperative that platforms take proactive measures to combat this threat," it added.
The government, the minister added, takes the question of safety and trust of citizens "very very seriously, and more so about our children and women who are targeted by such content".
The deepfake video had morphed the actors face on a video that shows Zara Patel is a British-Indian influencer, dressed in a black outfit, entering a lift. It evoked outrage and many in the film industry, including Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, called for legal action.
"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,'' she said.
The Centre has said that creation and circulation of deepfakes carry strong penalty -- Rs 1 lakh in fine and three years in jail.
