Hours after renowned Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar flagged his deep fake video, the Union Ministry of Information and Technology has swung into action. Taking to X, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar assured that the Ministry will shortly notify strict rules under IT acts making it mandatory for platforms to comply with the rules to curb misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and tackle deep fakes.
In his post, the Minister thanked Sachin Tendulkar for flagging his deep fake video and bringing the issue to light. Chandrasekar reiterated the risk posed by Deep Fakes and misinformation by AI asserting that they are a threat to the safety and trust of Indian users.
The tweet read, “Thank you Sachin Tendulkar for this tweet. Deep fakes and misinformation powered by AI are a threat to Safety and Trust of Indian users and represents harm & legal violation that platforms hv to prevent and take down. Recent Advisory by Meity Ministry requires platforms to comply with this 100%. We will be shortly notifying tighter rules under IT Act to ensure compliance by platforms.”
Thank you @sachin_rt for this tweet #DeepFakes and misinformation powered by #AI are a threat to Safety&Trust of Indian users and represents harm & legal violation that platforms hv to prevent and take down.
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@Rajeev_GoI) January 15, 2024
Recent Advisory by @GoI_MeitY requires platforms to comply wth this… https://t.co/DGe2utFjBM
Notably, Bharat Ratna and Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar became the latest victim of the malicious creation and dissemination of deep fake content. Earlier in the day on 15th January, the master blaster took to X to address the disturbing misuse of technology, urging vigilance and swift action against the spread of misinformation as he shared a deep fake video where he can be seen advertising for a gaming app and even advocating for its ability to help people earn money.
Raising concerns over the problems posed by the insidious use of AI tools for image and video editing, Tendulkar wrote, “These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology. Request everyone to report videos, ads & apps like these in large numbers. Social Media platforms need to be alert and responsive to complaints. Swift action from their end is crucial to stopping the spread of misinformation and deepfakes.”
These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology. Request everyone to report videos, ads & apps like these in large numbers.
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 15, 2024
Social Media platforms need to be alert and responsive to complaints. Swift action from their end is crucial to stopping the… pic.twitter.com/4MwXthxSOM
The deep fake video shared by the cricket icon, featured him endorsing a gaming app called the Skyward Aviator Quest. Not only does Tendulkar appear to be endorsing the app in the video, but he was also heard claiming that his daughter Sara is using the app these days and also earning a lot of money through it.
It’s obvious from the video that it was heavily edited to not only look, but also sound like the cricket player.
Notably, Tendulkar’s case is not an isolated incident. In recent times, the malicious creation and dissemination of dee pfake content, often including pornographic material, has become a potent weapon for blackmail and character defamation. Several celebrities like actors Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, and Priyanka Chopra have recently fallen prey to this deep fake menace. The severity of the issue first came to the fore after actress Rashmika Mandana highlighted how she fell victim to this targeted abuse.
In November last year, the former India cricketer’s daughter Sara Tendulkar also fell victim to deep fake technology when her morphed picture with rumoured boyfriend Shubman Gill went viral on social media during the ICC World Cup 2023 in November.
The original picture had Sara hugging her brother Arjun Tendulkar but his face was replaced with Gill’s by the person who morphed the picture and posted it online.
What are deep fakes
Deep fakes, a blend of “deep learning” and “fake,” represent a concerning and rapidly evolving aspect of artificial intelligence manipulation. These sophisticated forgeries use digital software, machine learning, and face-swapping technologies to generate artificial videos that look strikingly similar to original videos of a person or an event. These videos can depict events, statements or actions that have never happened.
On 7th November, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India (MeitY) issued an advisory to the social media companies. The ministry reaffirmed the existing guidelines. There are three main laws and guidelines that are in place for such fake videos. The first is Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the second is Rule 3(1)(b)(vii) of IT Intermediary Rules 2021, and the third is Rule 3(2)(b) of the IT Intermediary Rules 2021.
The Centre also said that the creation and circulation of deep fakes carry a strong penalty – Rs 1 lakh in fine and three years in jail.
