The Election Commission of India has issued a stern advisory to all political parties, urging them to abstain from employing deepfakes and other forms of misinformation across social media platforms during the ongoing general elections in the country. This directive follows criticisms directed at the constitutional body for perceived inaction against such campaigns in the world’s most populous democracy.
In a notice released on Monday, outlined in a PDF document, political entities are mandated to swiftly remove any deepfake audio or video content within a three-hour window upon detection. Additionally, parties are encouraged to identify and caution the individuals responsible for fabricating such manipulated content. The Election Commission’s initiative stems from a directive by the Delhi High Court, responding to concerns raised in a petition.
India, housing over 1.5 billion citizens, embarked on its general elections on April 19, slated to conclude by June 1. However, the electoral process has been marred by controversies surrounding the proliferation of deepfakes and misinformation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently lamented the utilization of counterfeit voices to depict leaders making statements they purportedly never endorsed, alleging a conspiracy aimed at inciting societal discord.
In a related development, the Indian police have apprehended at least six individuals from the social media teams of the Indian National Congress, the principal opposition party in the country, for circulating a fabricated video allegedly featuring Home Minister Amit Shah making statements he vehemently denies.
India has been grappling with the proliferation and dissemination of deepfakes for several months. In November, Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s IT Minister, engaged in discussions with major social media conglomerates, including Meta and Google, and collectively acknowledged the necessity for regulatory measures to combat the spread of deepfake videos and the applications facilitating their creation.
Furthermore, in January, another IT Minister cautioned tech firms of severe penalties, including bans, for their failure to proactively combat deepfake videos. Despite drafting regulations concerning deepfakes, India is yet to formalize them into law.
In its recent communication, the Election Commission reiterated its stance by emphasizing its consistent directives to political parties and leaders to maintain decorum and exercise utmost restraint in public campaigning.
Philips Babatunde