The IT Minister issued a crucial advisory on Tuesday to social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube in response to the recent controversy surrounding a viral morphed video of actor Rashmika Mandana. The advisory emphasized the urgency for these platforms to promptly remove fake content created through artificial intelligence (AI) within a 24-hour timeframe.

Sources reveal that the advisory reaffirmed the importance of complying with existing legal provisions outlined for online intermediaries. It specifically highlighted the rules established under the Information Technology Act, 2000, which includes penalties for offenses such as cheating through personation using computer resources. Offenders could face imprisonment for up to 3 years and fines reaching Rs 1 lakh.

Unfortunately, the issue persists as a new morphed picture, this time of actress Katrina Kaif, has surfaced on social media following the Mandana deepfake incident. The challenge remains for these platforms to effectively combat the spread of such manipulated content and uphold the legal standards outlined in the advisory.