Deepfakes: The New Face of Digital Deception
(Posted on Thursday, October 24, 2024)
The rise of deepfake technology is reshaping how we perceive digital content—and not in a good way.
AI advancements have made it easier than ever to create hyper-realistic deepfakes, blending fabricated audio and video with real voices and faces. What once took months to create can now be done in hours.
Deepfakes aren’t just being used to create viral pranks—they’re infiltrating elections. That’s a problem.
In 2024, AI-generated deepfakes have already been used to mimic political figures, spreading false messages that can confuse voters and disrupt election results.
Fake videos have emerged of candidates making inflammatory statements, potentially swaying votes or even keeping people from showing up to the polls altogether. These fakes are so convincing that it’s becoming harder to tell fact from fiction.
For example, U.S. intelligence officials said Tuesday (October 22, 2024) that Russia was behind recent social media posts making baseless and salacious claims about Vice Presidential Candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. This kind of manipulation could have dire consequences for our elections, organizations, and our own identities.
Deepfakes are also being used to infiltrate identities, creating false records or compromising reputations by placing individuals in fabricated situations. The result? Damaged lives, destroyed credibility, and widespread misinformation.
How Can We Stop It?
Like cybercrime and identity theft, we need innovative and proactive solutions to counteract deepfakes. For example.
- AI-powered deepfake detection tools like those developed by companies such as Microsoft and Deeptrace, can scan videos for signs of tampering and alert users to potential fakes.
- Education is key. As internet users, we need to be trained to spot deepfakes and to approach viral content with caution, especially during election cycles, or normal business operations.
- Here is a great research project from the MIT Media Lab to start your education.
- Tech platforms. Social media companies must act quickly to flag or remove deepfake content, preventing it from spreading like wildfire.
- Here is a great article on what social media companies are doing to combat deepfakes.
While AI has made it easier to create deepfakes, it can also be part of the solution. Tools that automatically detect deepfake content are advancing, but we need global cooperation to create legal and technological frameworks that prevent misuse.
Protecting Your Identity
Consumers can protect their identities by:
- Monitoring personal accounts using services like LifeLock or Aura that alert users about identity breaches.
- Using multi-factor authentication (MFA) and strong passwords or passphrases to secure accounts, especially where sensitive personal data is stored.
- Staying cautious with unfamiliar emails or links that could be phishing attempts designed to gather personal information for deepfake creation.
What is the US doing about deepfakes? Legal Frameworks and the DEFIANCE Act
The U.S. Senate recently passed the DEFIANCE Act of 2024, a significant step in combating deepfakes. This bipartisan law allows victims of non-consensual deepfakes—especially sexually explicit content—to sue perpetrators for up to $150,000.
The Council on Foreign Relations aims to hold those responsible for creating or distributing these harmful forgeries accountable, offering civil recourse to victims and a deterrent against the spread of malicious deepfakes. However, enforcement remains a challenge, particularly with foreign actors involved.
Governments are beginning to address deepfakes through legal frameworks. Several U.S. states have passed laws targeting politically motivated deepfakes during election seasons. While this is a step in the right direction, more public-private partnerships are needed to effectively combat deepfake technology and protect everyone.
Your best bet, staying informed and vigilant is key to protecting ourselves in this new digital landscape.
Stay Safe,
Chris
Sources:
https://www.cfr.org/blog/election-2024-deepfake-threat-2024-election