Govt promises tighter norms after Sachin Tendulkar flags deepfake video

New Delhi, January 15

The government has promised tighter rules under the IT Act after cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar expressed concern over a deepfake video which shows him talking about his daughter using a gaming application.

The fake video shows Tendulkar talking about the merits of the application, saying he did not know that money-making has become so easy. Posting the video on social media, Tendulkar said, “These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology. Request everyone to report videos, ads and apps like these in large numbers.”

He also tagged Union Minister of Electronics & IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar and the Maharashtra Cyber Crime Cell, alerting them to the dangers posed by the unchecked spread of deepfake content. “Swift action is crucial to stop the spread of misinformation and deepfakes,” he added.

Reacting to the post, Chandrasekhar said deepfakes were a threat to the safety and trust of Indian users and represents “harm and legal violation that platforms have to prevent and take down’’. The government will soon notify tighter rules under the IT Act to ensure compliance by platforms, he added.