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.
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100 stray dogs ''poisoned'' to death near Hyderabad, case booked
Hyderabad (PTI): In yet another incident of stray dog killings, nearly 100 canines were allegedly "poisoned to death" in Yacharam village near here following which a case was registered against a sarpanch and two others for their alleged involvement in the act, police said on Wednesday.
The fresh incident follows killing of nearly 500 stray dogs in different districts of Telangana since January 6.
An animal welfare activist, associated with Stray Animal Foundation of India, in a complaint filed with Yacharam Police Station alleged that the dogs were injected with some poisonous substances on January 19.
A case was registered under relevant sections of BNS and Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act against the sarpanch, secretary and ward member of Yacharam gram panchayat on Tuesday, a police official said.
As per the complainant, 100 dogs were killed, but based on preliminary investigation and after verifying with villagers around 50 dogs were found to be killed, though further probe is on in this regard, the official said.
An investigation is also underway to find out the carcasses of the dogs, he said.
Earlier, police in Hanamkonda district had booked nine persons, including two women sarpanches and their husbands, in connection with the alleged killing of around 300 stray dogs in Shayampet and Arepally villages.
In another incident, around 200 stray dogs were allegedly killed in Kamareddy district, and a case was booked against six persons, including five village sarpanches, for their alleged involvement in the incident.
It is suspected that some elected representatives, including sarpanches, allegedly carried out the killings to "fulfill promises made to villagers" ahead of gram panchayat elections held in December last year, to tackle the stray dog menace.
