Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar raises alarm about alarming deepfake videos

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has expressed his concern and criticized a deepfake video that falsely makes it look like he is endorsing an online gaming app. Tendulkar took to social media to denounce the video, describing it as fake and expressing his distress over the misuse of technology. This incident is just one in a series of deepfake videos targeting Indian celebrities. Actress Rashmika Mandanna previously spoke out about a deepfake video that went viral, urging people not to share such content. Other actresses, including Alia Bhatt, Kajol, and Katrina Kaif, have also fallen victim to deepfake videos. Tendulkar emphasized the need for social media platforms to be responsive and take swift action against the spread of deepfakes and misinformation. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, India's junior minister for information technology (IT), echoed Tendulkar's concerns and stated that deepfakes and AI-powered misinformation pose a threat to internet users' safety. The Indian government is planning to introduce stricter rules to ensure social media platforms promptly remove deepfake videos. Platforms that fail to comply could face legal consequences under India's IT rules. This issue has prompted government officials, including Chandrasekhar and federal IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, to address the growing concern over deepfake technology and its implications.