The Delhi Police called for a concerted effort by all stakeholders to tackle the issue of counterfeiting and unlicensed hotels in the digital era, by utilising emerging technologies like blockchain and biometrics.
Addressing a stakeholders' consultation organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) on the occasion of World Anti-Counterfeiting Day, Joint Commissioner of Police (Tech, Cyber and Licensing) B Shanker Jaiswal said, "AI has made things very complex. Earlier in the software industry, pirated versions of MS Office and Windows were a concern. Now, the counterfeiting problems are of a different nature."
FICCI CASCADE (Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy) Chairman Anil Rajput said the consultation with stakeholders aims to strengthen anti-counterfeiting efforts and protect consumers from the risks associated with counterfeit goods in the digital era.
Emphasising the need to develop consumer-friendly blockchain technology to support the fast-growing economy and address counterfeiting issues in the digital world, Jaiswal highlighted the rapid advancement of deepfake technology, stating that anti-deep fake technology is lagging, and all stakeholders should collaborate to address this challenge.
Dwelling on unlicensed hotels to the hospitality sector, Jaiswal said, “The Delhi Police deals with the licensing of restaurants and hotels, granting licences only to those that meet the norms.” However, he expressed concern over online aggregators like OYO and MakeMyTrip listing unlicensed hotels on their websites. "Some of the listed hotels may not have safety standards. Just because they are listed, as a consumer, I have an implicit understanding that they are safe," he said.
The Delhi Police had called a stakeholders' meeting to discuss the matter and stressed the need to integrate blockchain, cryptography, and biometric security to address counterfeiting problems in the digital world effectively.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Amit Goyal said, “Counterfeiting is one of the oldest known crimes and is evolving as per the market demand. With the rise in digital technology, counterfeiting has become more organised and difficult to track the gangs behind it.” He added that e-commerce is also being used as a platform for selling counterfeit products, and cyber frauds are happening with the use of AI and deep fake technologies. “The way forward is training all the stakeholders and using technologies to track the culprits,” he said.
