Government Likely to Introduce Digital India Bill to Combat Deepfake Content, Say Sources

New Delhi: In a bid to address the threats posed by AI-generated deepfake videos and other misleading online content, the newly elected Narendra Modi-led government is mulling to introduce a bill in the upcoming Parliament session, sources told Republic World on Saturday. The proposed Digital India Bill aims not only to address the risks posed by AI-generated deepfake videos and misleading online content but also to enhance the effective utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.

Government sources have indicated efforts to secure bipartisan consensus on the bill ahead of its introduction in Parliament. 
Besides, there will also be a Legislation that will include measures to regulate videos across diverse online platforms, including YouTube and others.

Earlier last year, the former Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, had alluded to the impending introduction of the bill, emphasizing its prioritization for enactment and implementation by the subsequent government.

"Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be able to catch the legislative window before the elections because we need certainly a lot of consultation and debate and discussion around it. But we certainly have a roadmap of what is legislation, what is our policy goals and what are the policy principles for safety and trust," Chandrasekhar had said at a media event.

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha is scheduled to commence on June 24 and will run until July 3. Following this, the Monsoon Session is expected to start on July 22 and extend until August 9.