Tough laws as crucial as social media literacy to combat deepfakes

The ‘deepfake’ videos of two actors that surfaced recently have raised a lot of concerns, given their potential to spread misinformation, manipulate public perception and undermine trust in the authenticity of the media.

A deepfake not only looks original but also moves, talks and sings like an original. Hence, one may come across one’s own animated deepfake on the Internet, like it happened to a celebrity recently.

A recent news report mentioned that 98 per cent of all deepfake videos have adult content and feature women, and that as a nation “India ranks 6th among the most susceptible to deepfake adult content”.

Deepfakes use AI algorithms to manipulate or generate multimedia content, such as videos, audio recordings, or images, making it difficult to distinguish between genuine, unaltered content.

These AI-generated manipulations often involve impersonating real people, making them appear to say or do things they never did. These digital impersonations can have devastating consequences, from fake political speeches that could influence elections to fraudulent financial transactions.

They are both cheap and quick to produce, sometimes at no cost and in no time. As a law enforcement professional, it’s crucial to address the potential misuse of this technology and its impact on crime prevention.

In the realm of the digital landscape, our society is grappling with a moral vacuum, erosion of trust and spread of misinformation. Deepfake videos can be used to frame innocent individuals for crimes they didn’t commit, leading to unjust convictions. They also pose a significant threat to individual privacy.

Cybercriminals can use this technology to create fake videos for blackmail, extortion, or harassment. Everyone is vulnerable to deepfake attacks. Deepfake, for instance, can tarnish a celebrity’s reputation, cause immense psychological distress for any citizen.

In a recent crime in the South East CEN police station, a case was booked against a student who had created objectionable deepfakes of his own friends. What is particularly alarming is the demand for such deepfakes on social media platforms like Telegram, thereby providing a ready market for these malicious creations.

In the last three years, the Bengaluru City Police have reported 769 cases related to loan apps, resulting in a staggering loss of Rs 100 crore. When a user downloads their app, the app gains access to the user’s contact list and personal photos. They use this information to target these individuals, knowing that people are more likely to respond to extortion threats when their loved ones are involved.

Personal photos are used to create deepfake content, including both images and videos. They threaten to release manipulated photos and videos to the victim’s contact list, leading to severe humiliation and harm to the victim’s reputation.

Extortion demands are then made, compelling the victims to pay a significant amount to prevent the release of these malicious materials. Hence, it is not just celebrities, but any citizen can become a target of deepfake exploitation. The rapid evolution of deepfake technology poses a challenge for legal systems.

Laws and regulations around deepfakes are still evolving, and legal enforcement can be complex. With the line between real and virtual becoming increasingly blurred, our reliance on authenticity verification tools becomes imperative.

We need to collaborate with tech companies to develop better detection and prevention mechanisms. In the battle against deepfakes, AI can be both the problem and the solution. AI-powered deepfake generation tools make the technology potent, but
it can also be harnessed to detect and combat deepfakes.

AI experts can collaborate with law enforcement agencies to develop robust systems for identifying manipulated content. The integration of AI into the policing of deepfake-related crimes is a crucial step toward maintaining public trust.

Laws that involve penalties for creating and disseminating deepfakes with malicious intent need to be drafted. Policing the virtual space has its challenges, but increasing cybercrimes using technology and AI demands new laws, strict vigilance and a team of ethical hackers.

Another way to mitigate the threat of deepfakes is through education and awareness campaigns with individuals and organisations, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to spot deepfake content.

Policy framework and task force

The rise of deepfake technology necessitates a comprehensive policy framework to address its implications across society. This includes forming a dedicated task force comprising policymakers, technology experts, cybercrime specialists from
law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders.

The task force’s primary goal will be to develop comprehensive guidelines, strategies and actionable points to combat deepfake threats.

Some areas the taskforce can address are: Rapid detection and removal of deepfake content on social media and communication platforms; develop mechanism for users to flag deepfake content; punitive measures including stringent penalties for individuals and entities creating, distributing, or profiting from malicious deepfakes; facilitate punitive damages to be claimed by victims; enforce strict regulations on media and social media outlets and platforms for the spread of unverified content; encourage responsible reporting and content sharing; strengthen privacy laws and regulations to protect individuals from unauthorised use of their images and videos in deepfake creations; software companies aiding in deepfake creation should watermark content as ‘AI-generated’; encourage social media platforms to take responsibility by implementing self-attestation for uploads; foster global collaboration to address the international nature of deepfake threats; recognise the financial implications on industries when their leaders become victims of deepfake attacks; develop strategies to mitigate stock market impact and provide guidance for affected companies; and promote responsible AI development and ethical guidelines that discourage the malicious use of deepfake technology.

Lawmakers, law enforcers and citizen bodies need to come together to create awareness on prevention of such crimes and provide immediate assistance to deepfake victims.

Some suggestions for an immediate response: Report such crimes at the earliest; implement public awareness campaigns to educate individuals about the risks of deepfakes and the importance of verifying content; encourage schools and educational institutions to include digital and social media literacy in their curricula; offer psychological support and counselling for victims of deepfake attacks.

Free access, dirt-cheap technology and erotic content that has a wide reach has made deepfake a menace. An effective task force along with a public awareness campaign can provide some respite to the victims of deepfake and harness this growing industry.

(The author is Deputy Commissioner of Police, South East division, Bengaluru. Views expressed here are personal)