The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Thursday urged social media platforms to curb "manipulated or out-of-context content" circulating online, issuing an advisory that comes days ahead of the October 10 protest planned in New Delhi.
The advisory, dated October 8 and signed by MeitY Joint Secretary Ajit Kumar, was issued by the ministry's Cyber Laws Division and was first reported by tech policy news portal MediaNama. It goes beyond AI-generated deepfakes, which are already liable for takedown notices under amendments to the IT Rules, 2021 passed earlier this year, and targets a wider range of misleading material.
"Such content, particularly when presented as current or authentic information, has the potential to cause public confusion, create apprehension, disturb public order and social tranquillity, and contribute to law-and-order concerns," the advisory said, according to The Hindu.
What platforms must watch for
The ministry asked platforms to "exercise enhanced diligence" and pay particular attention to four categories: old or archived photographs and videos being presented as current events; digitally altered or synthetically generated audio-visual content; impersonation of public authorities or individuals; and content likely to incite violence or other unlawful activity.
Platforms have been told to label or contextualise manipulated, synthetically generated or misleading content — particularly where it is shown as depicting a current event — and to run awareness measures urging users to verify the authenticity, source and date of information before sharing. Intermediaries must also ensure timely cooperation with law enforcement and authorised government agencies, and strengthen their monitoring, escalation and grievance-redressal mechanisms.
Separately, the government has advised large social media firms to prioritise action against unlawful content related to ongoing protests based on complaints from authorised bodies, including law enforcement agencies, official sources told PTI. Under the IT Rules as amended in February, platforms must act on government takedown orders within three hours, and on complaints about nudity, sexual content or impersonation within two hours.
The edict comes ahead of the October 10 demonstration planned by the Cockroach Janata Party and follows outrage by Telugu film industry stars over a deepfake video that went viral this week. ThePrint noted that the advisory mirrors a September 26 Delhi Police post flagging a video of a past Jantar Mantar protest being shared as a current event. The advisory takes effect immediately but does not cite a specific legal provision or set out consequences for non-compliance; it says any action must respect lawful expression and legitimate public discourse.
Sources: The Hindu | ThePrint
The advisory, dated October 8 and signed by MeitY Joint Secretary Ajit Kumar, was issued by the ministry's Cyber Laws Division and was first reported by tech policy news portal MediaNama. It goes beyond AI-generated deepfakes, which are already liable for takedown notices under amendments to the IT Rules, 2021 passed earlier this year, and targets a wider range of misleading material.
"Such content, particularly when presented as current or authentic information, has the potential to cause public confusion, create apprehension, disturb public order and social tranquillity, and contribute to law-and-order concerns," the advisory said, according to The Hindu.
What platforms must watch for
The ministry asked platforms to "exercise enhanced diligence" and pay particular attention to four categories: old or archived photographs and videos being presented as current events; digitally altered or synthetically generated audio-visual content; impersonation of public authorities or individuals; and content likely to incite violence or other unlawful activity.
Platforms have been told to label or contextualise manipulated, synthetically generated or misleading content — particularly where it is shown as depicting a current event — and to run awareness measures urging users to verify the authenticity, source and date of information before sharing. Intermediaries must also ensure timely cooperation with law enforcement and authorised government agencies, and strengthen their monitoring, escalation and grievance-redressal mechanisms.
Separately, the government has advised large social media firms to prioritise action against unlawful content related to ongoing protests based on complaints from authorised bodies, including law enforcement agencies, official sources told PTI. Under the IT Rules as amended in February, platforms must act on government takedown orders within three hours, and on complaints about nudity, sexual content or impersonation within two hours.
The edict comes ahead of the October 10 demonstration planned by the Cockroach Janata Party and follows outrage by Telugu film industry stars over a deepfake video that went viral this week. ThePrint noted that the advisory mirrors a September 26 Delhi Police post flagging a video of a past Jantar Mantar protest being shared as a current event. The advisory takes effect immediately but does not cite a specific legal provision or set out consequences for non-compliance; it says any action must respect lawful expression and legitimate public discourse.
Sources: The Hindu | ThePrint
