From the telecom regulator blocking SIMs registered on expired IDs in Pakistan to lawmakers approving bills targeting deepfakes in the United States (US), here’s everything we covered at Digital Rights Monitor (DRM) this week.
Read our weekly news roundup.
US: Lawmakers clear AI regulation bills banning deepfakes
The lawmakers in California in the United States (US) have greenlit a series of proposals aimed at the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a report by AP. The legislation will help fight the threats emerging from deepfakes and help prevent individual exploitation facilitated by AI.
The California Legislature is set to vote on various regulatory proposals for AI this week as it enters its final week of the session. The bills, whose voting deadline is Saturday, will be forwarded to Governor Gavin Newsom. The governor will have until September 30 to approve or reject them.
Earlier, Governor Newsom raised concerns that excessive regulation of AI could have an adverse impact on the local industry. The proposed pieces of legislation focus on critical threats persisting from AI, including electoral manipulation and deepfakes depicting child sexual abuse.
The bills call for the removal of misleading AI-generated material 120 days before and 160 days after the election day. The legislation target large social media platforms. In addition, two specific bills make it illegal to deploy AI tools for generating media, both images and videos, depicting child sexual abuse.
More here
PAKISTAN: Telecom regulator blocking SIMs issued on expired IDs
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has announced blocking SIMs that have been issued on expired identity cards, according to a report by Dawn.com.
The measure is aimed at curbing the illegal use of unauthorised SIM cards, according to a PTA spokesperson. The SIMs registered on the national identity cards (NIC) that expired before the year 2017 will be blocked. The IDs in question have not been renewed, according to the regulator.
The authority is ramping up its measure to block SIMs registered on expired, cancelled, or ID cards of deceased individuals. The first phase of blocking the SIMs was announced in August 2024.
The second phase will follow the blocking of SIMs registered on expired ID cards. Whereas, in the third phase, the regulator will crack down on SIMs registered on the NICs of deceased individuals.
The authority is blocking the SIMs based on information provided by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), according to the PTA spokesperson. The illegal SIMs are being used in a range of crimes, including tax fraud.
More here
BRAZIL: Meta to inform users about personal data processing for AI training
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced that it will inform Brazilian users about the processing of their personal information in the country to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models, according to a report by Reuters.
The development arrives after Brazil’s data protection regulator — the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) — demanded Meta disclose how the company would use Facebook and Instagram posts of Brazilian users to train its generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
Last week, the Brazilian regulator suspended with “immediate effect” Meta’s new policy on the deployment of personal information to train its AI models. Earlier in July, Meta had rolled back its generative AI stickers for WhatsApp in the market, citing concerns from the ANPD over the company’s AI tools. Subsequently, Meta engaged in talks with the regulator to address the apprehensions.
The ANPD published on Tuesday its containment measures in the country’s official gazette targeting the processing of personal data of Meta consumers. Meta’s sweeping use of personal information has since been halted by the authorities across all its social media platforms. The measure covers individuals who are not active users of Meta’s social networking spaces, too.
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AUSTRALIA: AI rules including human oversight proposed
The Australian government is planning to roll out a regulatory framework for artificial intelligence (AI) amid a rise in adoption of AI tools by businesses and regular internet users in the country.
The government announced on Thursday that it is planning rules to regulate AI, according to a statement by Australia’s Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic. The regulations will entail human intervention and transparency mechanisms to address the threats and risks emerging from the rapidly evolving AI technology.
The minister has introduced 10 “mandatory guardrails” for AI tech, saying the proposed regulations will be open to consultation for a period of one month. The stakeholder feedback will determine whether the rules need to be made mandatory for sensitive AI environments in the future. In addition, the protective measures involve the ability to challenge the results of decisions generated by AI.
“Australians know AI can do great things but people want to know there are protections in place if things go off the rails,” Minister Husic said in the statement. “Australians want stronger protections on AI, we’ve heard that, we’ve listened.”
More here
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