New Delhi: The man responsible for actor Rashmika Mandanna's deepfake video was arrested today, Delhi police said. The video went viral on social media in November last year, prompting widespread calls for regulations on social media platforms.
The deepfake video in question initially showcased British-Indian influencer Zara Patel, entering a lift in a black outfit. However, through the use of deepfake technology, Ms Patel's face seamlessly morphed into that of Ms Mandanna.
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Expressing her dismay, Ms Mandanna described the ordeal as "extremely scary" and highlighted the vulnerability individuals face due to the misuse of technology. "Something like this is honestly, extremely scary not only for me but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused," she remarked after the incident.
The aftermath of the viral deepfake video prompted the Centre to issue an advisory to social media platforms, stressing the legal provisions covering deepfakes and the potential penalties associated with their creation and circulation.
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Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar in December met social media platforms to review progress made by them in tackling misinformation and deepfakes, and asserted that advisories will be issued in the next two days to ensure 100 per cent compliance by platforms.
Deepfakes are a form of synthetic media crafted using artificial intelligence, employing sophisticated algorithms to manipulate both visual and audio elements. The term gained prominence in 2017 when a Reddit user introduced a platform for sharing manipulated videos.
Since then, deepfake technology has evolved, becoming a potential weapon for cybercriminals to disrupt and damage the reputation of individuals, companies, or even governments.
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said recently that notices were sent to all social media companies directing them to take necessary steps to identify and remove disinformation from their platforms.
"Deepfake is a big issue for all of us. We recently issued notices to all the big social media forms, asking them to take steps to identify deepfakes, for removing those content. The social media platforms have responded. They are taking action. We have told them to be more aggressive in this work," he said. "Also, we must notice that the 'Safe Harbour' Clause that most of the social media platforms have been enjoying, doesn't apply if the platforms do not take adequate steps to remove the deepfakes from their platforms."
Besides Ms Mandanna, deepfake videos of Katrina Kaif, Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra and even Sachin Tendulkar have gone viral on the internet in recent weeks.