In the lead-up to the Indian elections, the spread of misinformation and deepfakes has become a growing concern, with tech companies struggling to curb the dissemination of false or misleading content.
Recently, fake videos featuring Bollywood stars Aamir Khan and Ranveer Singh endorsing the opposition party and criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi went viral, despite being AI-generated. Both actors filed complaints, highlighting the challenges in combating such deceptive tactics.
Online claims have ranged from misstating voting procedures to calling for violence against specific groups, further complicating the information landscape for voters.
Researchers have criticized tech companies like Google and Meta for their inadequate enforcement of policies, allowing harmful content to thrive and potentially influence public opinion.
With India's vast linguistic and cultural diversity, disinformation poses a significant threat to the integrity of the electoral process, affecting nearly 1 billion eligible voters.
Meta, which owns major social media platforms, has faced scrutiny for allowing hate speech and misleading political ads to circulate, raising questions about their commitment to combating misinformation.
YouTube has also come under fire for its handling of false content, with researchers creating fake ads that were approved for publication despite violating platform rules.
The emergence of AI deepfakes has added a new dimension to the disinformation challenge, with experts warning of their potential to deceive voters and distort reality.
While efforts have been made to educate the public about deepfakes, the lack of clear regulations leaves voters to discern between fact and fiction, creating uncertainty and eroding trust in the political process.
As the election approaches, first-time voters like Ankita Jasra express concerns about the reliability of information and the impact of misinformation on governance.
With the proliferation of deceptive content online, the need for robust measures to combat disinformation and safeguard the electoral process in India has never been more urgent.
