Govt Asks Meta to Curb Deepfakes; Reviews Intermediary Status
The government has asked Meta to act against deepfakes and harmful AI-generated content and is examining whether its recommendation systems affect its intermediary status under the IT Act.
New Delhi: The government has asked Meta to take corrective action against deepfakes and other harmful AI-generated content on its platforms, according to sources.
Officials are also examining whether Meta still qualifies as an intermediary under Indian law, given the role its recommendation systems play in determining what content users see. Sources indicated that the central issue is whether a platform that actively decides what users are shown can maintain intermediary status under the Information Technology Act.
If a company’s recommendation systems determine “what is shown to whom” and promote content for payment, these functions raise questions about consistency with the legal definition of an intermediary, the sources said. Where a platform chooses what content is displayed to users, that role could be viewed as closer to publishing, with corresponding accountability.
