Indian Government Warns Facebook and YouTube to Remind Users of Deepfake and Misinformation Ban

India’s government has issued a warning to social media giants like Facebook and YouTube, urging them to enforce rules against posting deepfakes, obscene content, and misinformation. The warning was delivered by Deputy IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar during a closed-door meeting. Chandrasekhar emphasized that despite the existence of rules prohibiting harmful content, many platforms had not updated their usage terms accordingly. The Indian government considers compliance with the rules to be non-negotiable and demands that social media companies actively remind users of the restrictions. Failure to comply may result in the government issuing directions to ensure compliance. All platforms, according to India’s IT ministry, have agreed to align their content guidelines with government rules. Concern over deepfakes, which are realistic but fabricated videos created using AI algorithms, has been growing worldwide. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for global efforts to regulate AI and has expressed concerns about the negative impact of deepfakes on society. In response to incidents of fake news, India has been tightening regulations on social media companies, which consider the country a crucial growth market. This latest warning is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to combat misinformation and harmful content on digital platforms.