Safe harbour will not apply for platforms with algorithmic and AI bias: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Union minister of state for electronics and information technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Safe harbour will not apply for platforms if they are found promoting algorithmic or search bias, or if their artificial intelligence models are discriminatory, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, adding that users can file FIR against such platforms.

Chandrasekhar was responding to posts on X (formerly Twitter), which accused Google Bard of terming a India-based publication of spreading false information, when a user asked the platform to summarise one of its articles.

The safe harbour provision, under India's Information Technology Act, 2000, gives internet platforms legal immunity against content shared by users on the platforms. In the upcoming Digital India Bill, which will replace the IT Act, the government intends to remove such provisions.

In a post on X, Chandrasekhar said, "Search Bias, Algorithmic Bias and AI models wth bias - are real violations of the Safety & Trust obligations placed on Platforms under Rule 3(1)(b) of IT rules under regulatory framework in India. Those who are aggrieved by this can file FIRs against such platforms and safe harbor/immunity under Sec79 will not apply to these cases."

Chandrasekhar was responding to a post by one Arun Pudur, who posted screenshots of a Google Bard conversation, where he asked the platform to summarise an article by OpIndia. The platform responded saying that  OpIndia that it cannot summarise the article as the platform allegedly spreads false information.

Moneycontrol has reached out to Google for comments on the matter and the article will be updated when a response is received.