Rashmika Mandanna AI Deepfake: MeitY Issues Social Media Advisory Over Impersonating Individuals

The advisory mandates that intermediaries must take swift action, within 24 hours of receiving a complaint regarding content involving impersonation in an electronic form.

The viral video in question featured a woman resembling Actress Rashmika Mandhani entering an elevator.

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The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has released an advisory directed at social media companies, reiterating existing guidelines, as reported by sources on Tuesday. According to these sources, the advisory underscores the importance of adhering to established regulations, including Section 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which addresses the punishment for cheating through impersonation using computer resources. This section prescribes penalties of up to three years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh.

Additionally, the advisory refers to the "IT Intermediary Rules: Rule 3(1)(b)(vii)," which stipulates that social media intermediaries must exercise due diligence by ensuring that their rules, regulations, privacy policies, or user agreements explicitly inform users not to host content that impersonates another individual.

Furthermore, "Rule 3(2)(b)" mandates that intermediaries must take swift action, within 24 hours of receiving a complaint regarding content involving impersonation in an electronic form, including digitally manipulated images of individuals, to remove or disable access to such content.

These developments follow a recent controversy surrounding a deepfake video featuring Actress Rashmika Mandhani.

In response to the alleged deepfake video, Actress Rashmika Mandhani expressed her strong disapproval on Monday. The video had gained significant traction on social media platforms. The Pushpa star took to her Instagram Story and shared a heartfelt message, stating, "I am deeply saddened to address the circulation of a deepfake video impersonating me online. Such instances are undeniably frightening, not just for me but for all individuals vulnerable to technology's misuse."

After the deepfake video of Rashmika Mandanna's face went viral, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar referred to it as the most "dangerous and damaging form of misinformation”. The minister also emphasised the responsibilities of social media sites under the IT regulations announced in April.

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

She went on to emphasise the crucial support she receives from her family, friends, and well-wishers, acknowledging their role as her protective network. Rashmika Mandhani raised concerns about the potential impact of such incidents on younger individuals and urged the community to address this issue urgently.

The viral video in question featured a woman resembling Actress Rashmika Mandhani entering an elevator. The video swiftly garnered attention on social media, with numerous users confirming that it was a deepfake. Subsequently, it was determined that the woman in the video was actually British Actress Zara Patel.