Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday highlighted the escalating menace of deepfakes and coordinated disinformation campaigns at the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) conclave 2026. He stressed that public trust worldwide is at risk and said digital platforms must take responsibility for the content they host.
Vaishnaw emphasized that rapid technological advances have made it possible to produce and distribute manipulated content on an unprecedented scale.
He emphasized that in today’s world, the basic principle of trust is increasingly under threat, noting that disinformation has moved from isolated incidents to a widespread systemic problem, Hindustan Times reported.
“The threat comes from so many different angles – deepfakes – which can make you believe things that never happened anyway,” Vaishnaw he said. He warned of ongoing disinformation campaigns to manipulate public perception, saying: “A deluge of disinformation – which can create a sense of distrust that doesn’t exist in real life”.
He raised concerns regarding the creation of artificial digital materials of humans. “Creating synthetically generated images of people who are well respected in society, creating videos that have absolutely no correlation to reality,” he said.
“It’s time to make that big change in inflection”
According to the minister, digital platforms must recognize the vital role they play in maintaining trust in institutions built over millennia. He said platforms are responsible for the content they host and for ensuring the online safety of children and all users.
He warned that failure to meet these obligations would make platforms liable, stressing that the internet had evolved and its impact on society had grown significantly.
He also reflected on the importance of regulating AI-generated content, stating that such material should not be produced without the consent of the individual whose face, voice or personality is being used.
“The time has come to make that big change in inflection. I am asking the platforms to work with the basic needs of this human society. The society asking for this change today must be respected,” Vaishnaw said, PTI reported.
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He said that human society rests on trust in institutions – from the family and social identity to the judiciary, the media and the legislature – all of which operate on the foundational principle of trust.
The minister cited as an example of the media that their credibility depends on impartiality, careful verification of information before publication and responsibility for the content they produce.
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He added that every human-made institution operates on the same basic principles, with mutual trust as the basis of their functioning. But he warned that in today’s fast-moving world, that basic trust is increasingly under threat, particularly because of emerging technologies such as deepfakes, which can trick people into believing events that never actually happened.
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What is a DNPA event?
The DNPA event is designed to bring together policymakers, media managers and industry experts to explore the latest trends in digital journalism and artificial intelligence.
Discussions are expected to cover regulatory frameworks, newsroom transformation, content monetization strategies and the broader economic landscape of digital publishing in an AI-driven era.
Mariam Mammen Mathew, Chair of the DNPA, said that with AI fundamentally reshaping the news industry, it is essential that publishers, policymakers and platforms work together to create a framework based on trust and accountability.
