Hindutva Watch account withheld by X following legal demand from Indian govt
New Delhi: The account of the independent research initiative “Hindutva Watch in India '' has been withheld by social media platform X “in response to a legal demand” from the Union government. The action was taken on the evening of Tuesday, January 16. The organisation’s founder Raqib Hameed Naik said that they received a notification of the same from X three hours after the account was withheld.
The email from X read, “In the interest of transparency, we are writing to inform you that X has received a legal removal demand from the Government of India regarding your X account, @HindutvaWatchIn, that claims the following content violates India's Information Technology Act, 2000.”
🚨 Update from Hindutva Watch
— Raqib Hameed Naik (@raqib_naik) January 16, 2024
Today, our @X account was withheld in India following a legal demand from the Government of India.
Three hours after the withholding of our account, we received an email from X notifying us of this action. pic.twitter.com/YPAwBl1QdP
Reacting to the action, Raqib Hameed said, “While shocking, it's not surprising, considering Prime Minister Modi regime's history of suppressing free press & critical voices. This won't deter us! We remain committed! The suppression of our account in India only fuels our determination to continue our work undeterred. (sic)”
Hindutva Watch monitors “reports of attacks on members of minority and marginalised communities for their faith by the radicalised Hindus and the Hindutva militia groups in India” with the aim of exposing “ideology, institutions and people responsible for acts of violence and injustice”.
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Bill to regulate deepfakes tabled in Lok Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): A Private Member's Bill seeking a clear legal framework for regulation of deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, introduced by Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde in the House on Friday, aims to protect citizens by mandating prior consent from individuals depicted in deepfake content.
"Misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and misinformation has escalated, creating an urgent need for regulatory safeguards," Shinde said.
The Bill also lists penalties for offenders creating or disseminating deepfake content with malicious intent.
"With advancements in artificial intelligence and deep learning, deepfake technology has emerged as a significant tool for media manipulation. While the technology has potential applications in education, entertainment and creative fields, it also poses severe risks when misused, threatening individual privacy, national security and public trust," Shinde said in the statement of objects and reasons in the Bill.
The proposed Bill seeks to establish a clear legal framework to govern the creation, distribution and application of deepfakes in India, said Shinde, a three-term Lok Sabha member from Kalyan.
The Bill also seeks to establish the Deepfake Task Force, a dedicated body to combat national security implications and evaluate the influence of deepfakes on privacy, civic participation, and potential election interference.
The task force will collaborate with academic and private sector institutions to develop technologies that detect manipulated content, thereby promoting credibility in digital media.
The Bill also proposes to establish a fund to support public and private sector initiatives in the detection and deterrence of advanced image manipulation.
A Private Member's Bill is a procedure of Parliament that enables lawmakers, who are not ministers, to draw attention to issues that might not be represented in Government Bills or to highlight the issues and gaps in the existing legal framework that require legislative intervention.
