New Delhi: In an effort to combat the misinformation circulated on the instant messaging platform WhatsApp, the Indian government is planning to circulate an apparently controversial order of mentioning the source of every message sent on the platform.
The cases of spreading AI-driven misinformation on social media have been on the rise and the government is leaving no stone unturned to curb it.
This action is prompted by the circulation of deepfake videos of politicians on WhatsApp. The government is planning to send an order to the messaging company under the Section 4(2) Information Technology (IT) Rules, 2021, to identify the individuals who initially shared these fake videos.
What are Deepfake Videos?
Deepfakes are altered videos where a person’s face or body is digitally manipulated to make them appear as someone else, which is often used to spread false information.
Giving a clarification on the same, a government official informed that the move is not politically motivated or biased in any sense, as many of our rival politicians too face the ire of deepfake videos. These fake videos are seen as a potential threat to the integrity of India’s elections.
He said, “It’s not about partisanship. The videos in question depicted deepfakes of politicians from different political parties. Such fake videos of politicians from across the political aisle have been brought to our notice, which we believe can cause harm to electoral integrity in India. So we are planning to send a first originator notice to WhatsApp.”
What’s the Concern of WhatsApp?
WhatsApp and Facebook challenged a similar provision in the Delhi High Court in 2021. They argued that the move would seriously compromise user privacy. The case, however, is still ongoing in the Indian court.
The big problem here is that the government wants to use a law to make WhatsApp reveal who sends messages, but WhatsApp says this could hurt its privacy rules. WhatsApp’s privacy system keeps your messages secret, even from WhatsApp itself.
The company is worried that if the government does this, it might lead to a lot of spying. The government, however, said it won’t disrupt the normal functioning of WhatsApp.