Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw denies silencing posts, targets deepfakes
Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw wants everyone to know the government isn't out to silence protest posts or legitimate opinions: it's only cracking down on deepfakes.
This comes after some people, including a political leader, claimed the government ordered certain supportive videos to be removed.
Vaishnaw denied these claims and said regular posts aren't being touched.
Vaishnaw: fake videos must be removed
Vaishnaw explained that removing fake videos is the government's responsibility, saying a new law on fake and false information and various technological methods are needed to strengthen trust.
He also pointed out that recent IT rule changes now let authorities act against even unregistered users who spread false news.
"The question is very simple. Whether fake news should be allowed to stay on social media or should not? Who generates the fake news was never a point of conversation. If fake news is generated by a newspaper or by any other person, if it is fake news, it must be taken out," Vaishnaw said, highlighting growing worries about online misinformation.