Deepfakes, fake news direct attack on democracy: Union minister
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is sounding the alarm on deepfakes and fake news, calling them a direct attack on democracy.
At the AI Impact Summit, he said, "Innovation without trust is a liability," and warned that these threats are shaking the trust we have in our families, communities, and government.
In his words: "Misinformation, Disinformation, deepfakes, they are attacking the foundation of society,"
AI-generated content harder to spot
With AI-generated content getting harder to spot, the government recently tightened rules requiring social media platforms to clearly label AI-generated content and is working on regulations to mandate watermarking and labeling.
This move aims to protect real human creativity from being drowned out by fakes.
But Vaishnaw pointed out that laws alone aren't enough—India's working with over 30 other countries to find global solutions so everyone's on the same page.
Government is also talking with social media platforms
The government is also talking with social media platforms about their role in fighting deepfakes and keeping users safe—especially younger ones.
There's a push for stronger rules around age limits (like Australia banning under-16s from social media) and more platform accountability.
Parliament has studied deepfakes closely, and there's growing support for much tougher regulations going forward.