India’s Election Commission has recently issued an advisory to all political parties, urging them to refrain from using deepfakes and other forms of misinformation during the country’s ongoing general elections. This move comes after the constitutional body faced criticism for not taking sufficient steps to combat such campaigns in the world’s most populous nation.
The advisory, released on Monday, requires political parties to promptly remove any deepfake audio or video within three hours of becoming aware of its existence. Furthermore, parties are advised to identify and reprimand the individuals responsible for creating the manipulated content. This step was taken following a Delhi High Court order, which asked the Election Commission to address the issue after it was raised in a petition.
India, with a population of over 1.5 billion people, began its general elections on April 19 and is set to conclude the voting process on June 1. However, the election has already been tainted by controversies surrounding the use of deepfakes and misinformation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his concern last month about the use of fake voices that were being used to falsely attribute statements to leaders. He claimed that these manipulated videos were part of a conspiracy designed to sow tension in society.
In response to these concerns, the Indian police have arrested at least six individuals from the social media teams of the Indian National Congress, the nation’s top opposition party. These individuals were charged with circulating a fake video that showed Home Minister Amit Shah making statements he claims he never made.
India has been grappling with the issue of deepfakes for several months now. In November, India’s IT Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, met with major social media companies such as Meta and Google. They collectively agreed that regulation was necessary to combat the spread of deepfake videos and the apps that facilitate their creation.
Moreover, in January, another IT Minister warned tech companies that severe penalties, including bans, would be imposed if they failed to take active measures against deepfake videos. However, India is yet to formalize its draft regulation on deepfakes into law.
The Election Commission emphasized on Monday that it has been consistently urging political parties and their leaders to maintain decorum and utmost restraint in public campaigning. This advisory serves as a reminder of the importance of ethical conduct and responsible use of social media during the election period.
Overall, this advisory from the Election Commission reflects the growing concern over the impact of deepfakes and misinformation on the democratic process in India. By imposing strict guidelines and consequences for their use, the Commission is taking significant steps to ensure fair elections and combat the spread of false information. However, the issue of deepfakes remains complex, and further efforts are needed to develop comprehensive regulations that can effectively address this problem.
