Sachin Tendulkar’s Deepfake Row: Union IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar Breaks Silence On Controversy

A couple of hours after former India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar let it out that his voice and picture has been manipulated, the Union Minister of State for Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Monday (January 15) said that the government will notify strict rules under the Information Technology Act to ensure compliance by platforms in the country.

These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology. Request everyone to report videos, ads & apps like these in large numbers.

Social Media platforms need to be alert and responsive to complaints. Swift action from their end is crucial to stopping the… pic.twitter.com/4MwXthxSOM

 Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 15, 2024

Union Minister took to X on Monday and expressed gratitude to Tendulkar for pointing out the video. He said deepfakes and misinformation powered by AI are a threat to the safety and trust of Indian users and the platforms are required to comply with advisory issued by the Centre. (MS Dhoni Invited For Ram Temple ‘Pran Pratistha’ Ceremony In Ayodhya)

“Thank you @sachin_rt for this tweet #DeepFakes and misinformation powered by #AI are a threat to Safety&Trust of Indian users and represents harm & legal violation that platforms have to prevent and take down. Recent Advisory by @GoI_MeitY requires platforms to comply with this 100%. We will be shortly notifying tighter rules under IT Act to ensure compliance by platforms,” Chandrasekhar posted on X.

The former Indian cricketer on Monday cautioned everyone against a deep fake video of him which has been used to promote an App. In the video, Tendulkar’s video and voice has been manipulated to make it sound like batting Maestos was promoting the app.

Tendulkar took to X cautioning his fans and the public that the video is fake and asked people to report such applications, videos and advertisements. (‘My Range Is God’s Gift,’ Shivam Dube After Tremendous Knock Against Afghanistan In 2nd T20I)

“These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology. Request everyone to report videos, ads & apps like these in large numbers. Social media platforms need to be alert and responsive to complaints. Swift action from their end is crucial to stopping the spread of misinformation and fake news. @GoI_MeitY, @Rajeev_GoI and @MahaCyber1,” Tendulkar on X.

Notably, on November 6 last year, a modified video of actor Rashmika Mandanna appeared online sparking discussions of digital safety. The video quickly went viral and several social media users came forward to confirm that it was a deep fake. It was later identified that the video was of a British actress.