Life becomes better and better with technology. It has changed the way we communicate, work, learn and so on. But, if it is not controlled and handled properly, we will have to face the music. Deepfake is the elder child of AI ((Artificial Intelligence). It has been creating ripples in society.
Deepfake videos are being manufactured using celebrities’ photos to promote political parties in the ongoing Lok Sabha election in 2024, which is not a good sign for conducting a fair and transparent election campaign in any country. The recent deep-fake videos of Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh went viral on the internet to influence the political views of the masses.
Both are the leading actors in Bollywood with a strong base of fan-followers on social media. Such deepfake videos have the potential to change the perception of people and set agendas as well as gain political mileage.
A police complaint and an FIR has been lodged against the handle but a deep concern of privacy and security is in question before the law makers. Moreover, both actors have come on social media to put a break on the circulation of deepfake videos. This is not the first time it has happened in Bollywood. Last year in 2023, Rashmika Mandanna bore the brunt of deepfake videos.
Now, it falls on the shoulders of the government to enact a strict and comprehensive law for curbing and controlling the mushrooming deepfake videos. The reason is that not everyone can distinguish between real and fake videos. And, such adulterate and fake videos can make the celebrities pay the heavy price. It will also pave the way for manipulation and blackmailing to grow like monsters in society.
Cyber experts are of the opinion that these deepfake videos are so identical to the original that it becomes very hard for the masses to distinguish and differentiate. Technology has perfected it quite nicely and it is available to everyone for free. One photo is enough to sing, dance or do anything. And, it could be amplified in many different ways.
As of now, there are no specific laws governing deepfake videos, although they fall under the ambit of the IT Act and cybercrime laws. Now, the time is ripe to up the ante for the entities that are handling personal data. A moral obligation must be hung on the sleeves of corporate entities to bear the burden of deepfake videos.
A comprehensive framework of laws that can fill up all the gaps needs to be evolved very soon; otherwise, it will wreak havoc in the public domain.