China Planning to Regulate Deepfake Technology

What is deepfake technology?

Imagine there is a fake video of yourself saying bad things about your best friend. It would cause a fight between your friend and you, won’t it? How do you explain to your friend that the video is fake and you have not said anything bad about her or him in reality?

Deepfakes are a collection of fake images and sounds that have been put together using a computer to distribute false information and mimic a person (scary, isn't it?).

Deepfakes can be used to produce fakes that appear to be real people saying and acting in ways they never would normally.

Currently, deepfakes are used for illegal activities like scams and identity theft. China recently created a new policy that will limit the use of deep synthesis technology. This policy will be implemented from 10th January 2023.

What is deep synthesis technology, you ask? Deep synthesis is the method used to produce fake text, images, audio, and video. Deepfakes are among the most common (and the worst) uses of this technology.

What is this new policy of China?

According to the policy, deep synthesis service providers and users will have to make sure that everything made with the technology is easily identified as fake (or not real) and can be traced back to its source. This is how the creator may be located if any of these videos or images are used for any criminal activities.

It's also against the law to change someone's voice or appearance without that person's permission.

Why has this policy been implemented?

China's government expressed concern that the uncontrolled use and development of deep synthesis would result in its use for wrongdoings, including defamation and online scams. The policy was developed to decrease such illegal activities.

What steps are other nations taking to fight deepfakes?

The European Union (EU) has laws in place to prevent the spread of fake information through deepfakes. The laws require that social media platforms like Twitter, Google, etc. deal with deepfakes.

Also, the United States of America (USA) implemented a law to fight deepfake technology. This law permits the examination of deepfakes in order to prove them false. In some American states, the sharing of deepfake videos is prohibited.

However, there are no laws prohibiting the use of deepfake technology in India.

What did we learn from this article?

We learned how technology can be used to harm people. Although technology has greatly improved and eased our lives, it may also be harmful. You should keep in mind that not everything you see on the internet is “real news”. Some images or audio or videos could be fake too!

So, should India also implement laws to stop the spread of deepfakes? Please let us know in the comments section.