The Ministry of Information Technology (MeitY) has introduced proposed regulations to address the rising threat of misinformation and deepfake videos in India, the world's most populous nation. The amendments focus on controlling "the growing misuse of technologies used for the creation or generation of synthetic media."

A ministry briefing note issued late Wednesday stated, "Recent incidents of deepfake audio, videos and synthetic media going viral on social platforms have demonstrated the potential of generative AI to create convincing falsehoods."

It further noted, "Such content can be weaponised to spread misinformation, damage reputations, manipulate or influence elections, or commit financial fraud."

Increasing accountability for social media platforms

To enhance oversight, the government has launched an online portal named Sahyog, meaning "cooperate" in Hindi, to streamline the process of issuing government notices to content intermediaries like X and Facebook. The ministry emphasised, "These proposed amendments provide a clear legal basis for labelling, traceability, and accountability," adding that the changes would "strengthen the due diligence obligations" of social media intermediaries.

India’s growing digital landscape

With over 900 million internet users, as reported by the Internet and Mobile Association of India, India is a significant market for technology companies, trailing only China in user numbers but maintaining greater openness to US tech firms.

Major AI companies are increasingly targeting India, the world’s fifth-largest economy. This month, US-based Anthropic announced plans to establish an office in India, with CEO Dario Amodei meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Similarly, OpenAI revealed plans for an India office, with CEO Sam Altman noting that "ChatGPT usage in the country had grown fourfold over the past year." Additionally, AI firm Perplexity partnered with Indian telecom giant Airtel in July to expand its presence.