India cracks down on deepfakes. Can Big Tech meet deadline?
What's the story
India has set a new deadline for social media platforms to tackle illegal AI-generated content. The mandate, announced earlier this week, requires these platforms to remove such material within three hours of detection or reporting. The rule is a major shift from the previous 36-hour window and applies to deepfakes and other harmful AI content as well. The new regulations come into effect on February 20.
Digital reach
India's massive social media user base
India's digital ecosystem is huge, with over 500 million social media users. This includes 500 million YouTube users, 481 million Instagram users, 403 million Facebook users, and 213 million Snapchat users. The country also accounts for X's third-largest market. These numbers show how important these platforms are to India's online community and how much influence they have on global deepfake moderation efforts.
Tech hurdles
New rules require technical measures to block illegal deepfakes
The new rules also require social media platforms to take "reasonable and appropriate technical measures" to stop users from creating or sharing illegal deepfakes. Any generative AI content that isn't blocked must come with "permanent metadata or other appropriate technical provenance mechanisms." However, this is a tall order given the current state of AI detection and labeling systems like C2PA (content credentials), which are often ineffective at flagging synthetic content.
System flaws
Interoperability is a major problem with C2PA
Interoperability is a major problem with C2PA, and while India's new rules could drive adoption, C2PA metadata isn't permanent. It's so easily removed that some online platforms can do it unintentionally during file uploads. The new regulations prohibit platforms from modifying, hiding or removing metadata or labels but there's little time left to figure out how to comply. Social media platforms like X that haven't even implemented any AI labeling systems now have just nine days to do so.
Censorship fears
Internet Freedom Foundation raises concerns over new regulations
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) has raised concerns that these new changes could turn platforms into "rapid fire censors." "These impossibly short timelines eliminate any meaningful human review, forcing platforms toward automated over-removal," the IFF said. Despite these challenges, the organizations behind C2PA have always maintained that the system will work if enough people use it.