DRM Weekly Review – 11 – angeluslowcost

From the telecom regulator blocking SIM cards registered to expired IDs in Pakistan to lawmakers passing bills targeting deepfakes in the United States, here’s everything we covered this week on Digital Rights Monitor (DRM).

Read our weekly news summary.

US: Lawmakers approve AI regulations banning deepfakes

California lawmakers in the United States (US) have given the green light to a series of proposals aimed at regulating artificial intelligence (AI), according to a report by AP. The legislation will help combat the threats posed by deepfakes and prevent individual exploitation by AI.

The California Legislature will vote on several AI regulatory proposals this week as it enters the final week of the session. The bills, whose voting deadline is Saturday, will be sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom. The governor has until Sept. 30 to approve or reject them.

Governor Newsom previously raised concerns that excessive regulation of AI could negatively impact local industries. The proposed legislation addresses critical threats posed by AI, including election 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 Election Day. The legislation targets major social media platforms. Additionally, two specific bills would make it illegal to use AI tools to generate media, both images and videos, that depict child sexual abuse.

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PAKISTAN: Telecom regulator blocks SIM cards issued on expired IDs

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has announced that SIM cards issued on expired identity cards will be blocked, a report Through Dageraad.com.

The measure is aimed at curbing the illegal use of unauthorized SIM cards, a PTA spokesperson said. SIM cards registered on national identity cards (NIC) that expired before 2017 will be blocked. The IDs in question have not been renewed, the regulator said.

The authority is expanding its measure to block SIMs registered on expired, cancelled or deceased persons’ ID cards. The first phase of blocking SIMs was announced in August 2024.

The second phase will follow the blocking of SIMs registered on expired ID cards. While in the third phase, the regulator will take stricter action against SIMs registered on the NICs of deceased persons.

The authority blocks the SIMs based on information from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), the PTA spokesman said. The illegal SIMs are used for a range of crimes, including tax fraud.

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BRAZIL: Meta to inform users about processing of personal data 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 data in the country to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models, according to a report from Reuters.

The development comes after Brazil’s data protection regulator, the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD), demanded that Meta disclose how the company would use Facebook and Instagram posts from Brazilian users to train its generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems.

Last week, Brazil’s regulator suspended Meta’s new policy on using personal information to train its AI models with “immediate effect.” Earlier in July, Meta had pulled its generative AI stickers for WhatsApp from the market, citing ANPD concerns about the company’s AI tools. Meta subsequently entered into talks with the regulator to address the detentions.

The ANPD published its containment measures in the country’s official gazette on Tuesday, targeting the processing of personal data of Meta consumers. Meta’s large-scale use of personal information has now been halted by authorities on all of its social media platforms. The measure also applies to individuals who are not active users of Meta’s social networking spaces.

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AUSTRALIA: AI rules including human oversight proposed

The Australian government plans to roll out a regulatory framework for artificial intelligence (AI), as AI tools become increasingly popular among businesses and ordinary internet users in the country.

The government announced on Thursday that it is planning rules to regulate AI, according to a statement from Australian Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic. The regulations will include human intervention and transparency mechanisms to address the threats and risks posed by the rapidly evolving AI technology.

The minister introduced 10 “mandatory safeguards” for AI technology and said the proposed regulations will be open for consultation for a month. Feedback from stakeholders will determine whether the rules should be made mandatory for sensitive AI environments in the future. In addition, the safeguards include the ability to challenge the outcomes of decisions generated by AI.

“Australians know AI can do amazing things, but people want to know there are protections if it goes wrong,” Minister Husic said in the statement. “Australians want stronger protections for AI, we heard that, we listened.”

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Stay tuned to DRM for updates on Internet governance, platform takedowns and Internet shutdowns, and corporate accountability around the world.