Ashwini Vaishnaw Raises Alarm on Deepfakes, Seeks Mandatory Consent For AI Generated Content

Ashwini Vaishnaw asserted that digital platform must take responsibility for the content they host and ensure the fair share revenue and implement the safe guard to prevent any use of Artificial intelligence.  While speaking at Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) Conclave, stressing that digital intermediaries have evolved into powerful media outlets, Vaishnaw said," Platforms must take responsibility for the content that is hosted by them. The online safety of children and all citizens is the responsibility of the platforms."

Emphasizing on the growing concern over the misinformation and deepfakes, minister warned that the unchecked synthetic content threatens public trust. “The time is gone when platforms could say they are not responsible for content. Those times are gone. Platforms have changed from being pure intermediaries to becoming hosts to the world."

Consent is a central issue

Vaishnaw said, "How can a video of a famous news anchor be generated without consent, how can an IT industry leader’s video appear without his consent asking people to do something. This is not acceptable. Consent must be mandatory."

Fair share of revenue. 

“I request all platforms to rethink their negotiation policies. If voluntary action is not taken, many countries have already shown that legal pathways exist.” Talking about the digital risk minister stated, “Information, even misinformation, can spread to millions within hours. Therefore, the time has come for platforms to take responsibility.”

Also Read: Ashwini Vaishnaw Calls for Fair Revenue Sharing for Creators, Stresses Need for Original Content

Vaishnaw stated that Parliament has recently passed legislation to curb online gaming addiction and emphasized the need for platforms to proactively combat cyber fraud and cybercrime. He warned that failure to adhere to core principles would result in legal accountability. The Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Railways, and IT highlighted key societal challenges for the next decade: online safety, news authenticity, child safety, protection against obscenity, and synthetically generated fake content. He stressed that these issues demand immediate and decisive action, as they threaten the fundamental trust in institutions built over centuries.