India well-equipped to tackle evolving online harms, cyber crimes: Govt tells Parliament
Union Minister Jitin Prasada highlighted India's robust cyber legal framework, including the IT Act, BNS, and institutions like GAC and CERT-In, to combat online harms and cybercrimes. The government is addressing the rising threat of deepfakes powered by AI through existing laws and advisories.
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India's cyber legal framework, backed by the IT Act, BNS, and institutions like GAC, CERT-In , and I4C, is well-equipped to tackle evolving online harms and cyber crimes, said Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada in Rajya Sabha.MoS Prasada said on Friday that the Government is conscious of the threats posed by deepfakes powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), including synthetic audio, video and text.Such content can seriously impact a person's dignity, reputation, and right to privacy. It also raises concerns about platform accountability, he added, according to the Ministry of Electronics & IT.The MoS informed that to combat the rising threat of deepfakes and ensure an open, safe, and accountable cyberspace, the Government of India has established a comprehensive legal and institutional framework.Several existing laws address various aspects of AI-generated harms, including the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act), which criminalises identity theft, impersonation, privacy violations, and the circulation of obscene content. It also empowers authorities to issue blocking orders (Section 69A) and takedown notices (Section 79) to intermediaries.Complementing this are the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, updated in 2022 and 2023, which mandate digital platforms to exercise due diligence, prevent the hosting of unlawful content, and ensure accountability.The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) adds another layer by requiring data fiduciaries, including AI firms, to process personal data lawfully and with user consent. Deepfakes using personal data without consent can be penalised under this Act.Further, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS) addresses misinformation and organised cybercrimes through Sections 353 and 111.The Government has also issued advisories (in December 2023 and March 2024) directing intermediaries to remove impersonation and deepfake content, inform users about misleading content, and ensure timely compliance with the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) orders.Intermediaries are also advised to label AI-generated content when outputs are potentially unreliable.India's broader cyber ecosystem includes platforms like the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and its SAHYOG Portal, which enable coordinated removal of unlawful content. Citizens can report incidents through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or by calling the helpline 1930.Additionally, CERT-In provides guidance on emerging AI threats, including deepfakes, and conducts public awareness campaigns through initiatives such as Cyber Jagrookta Diwas, National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and Safer Internet Day.
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