How Can Deepfake Become A Threat To People

For the past few days, you must have been hearing about deepfake or deepfake videos repeatedly in newspapers, TV news and social media.

Cases of people falling prey to deepfake technology are constantly coming to light.

While common people are being affected by the misuse of this technology, many deepfake videos of celebrities have also gone viral in recent times.

In this episode, the names of film actresses Rashmika Mandana, Kajol, Katrina came to the fore, while the viral video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi doing Garba also shocked everyone whether it is true?

But these cases of deepfake are not limited to India only.

From former US President Barack Obama to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg, now known as Meta, have also not been untouched by it.

All these videos that you have seen are all deepfakes.

Table of Contents

What is deepfake?

Deepfake actually uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) through which fake image or picture of anyone is created.

In this, a type of AI called deep learning is used to make any picture, audio or video look fake and hence it is called deepfake.

Most of these are pornographic or obscene.

According to Amsterdam-based cyber security company DeepTrace, after its introduction in late 2017, the technical level of deepfake and its social impact developed rapidly.

According to this report published by DeepTrace in the year 2019, a total of 14,678 deepfake videos were online. Of these, 96 percent of the videos were pornographic content and four percent were such that did not contain this content.

When DeepTrace assessed deepfake videos on the basis of gender, nationality and profession, it found that deepfake pornography is used to harm women.

At the same time, deepfake pornography is increasing globally and actresses and musicians from the entertainment industry were used in these pornography videos.

Lawyer Puneet Bhasin says that a few years ago, cases of Sully and Bulli Bai came to light in which women were targeted.

But men have also been targeted along with women in deepfakes. It is a different matter that in most cases men ignore such fake content.

Mumbai-based Puneet Bhasin is an expert in cyber law and data protection privacy and she believes that deepfake is now spreading like termites in society.

She says, “Earlier also people’s photos were morphed but it was found out but the deepfake that is being done through AI is so perfect that it is difficult to differentiate between right and wrong. It is enough to insult someone’s modesty.” Experts say that this technology is so developed that the video or audio looks real. But is it limited to videos only? This technology is not only used in videos but photos are also made to look fake and it is very difficult to find out that it is fake and not real. Audio is also deepfake through this technology. Voice skin or voice clones are used to change the voice of big celebrities.

Cyber security and AI expert Pawan Duggal says, “Deepfake is a mixture of computer, electronic format and AI. No kind of training is required to make it. It can also be created using mobile phones using apps and tools.”

Who is using deepfakes?

It is difficult to make a good deepfake on a normal computer.

Deepfakes can be made on a high-end desktop using the best photos and graphics cards.

Pawan Duggal says that it is mostly being used by cyber criminals.

He says, “They make pornographic videos of people and then use them for blackmailing and ransom. They put them on social media to tarnish a person’s image and it is being used especially to harm celebrities, politicians and big personalities.”

Giving another reason for this, Puneet Bhasin says that people also make such videos because such videos are watched by more people and their views increase and they benefit from this.

At the same time, Pawan Duggal expresses the apprehension that the use of deepfakes can also affect elections.

According to him, “Deepfake videos of politicians can be made, this can not only tarnish their image but can also affect the party’s chances of winning.”

Talking about the use of deepfake videos in elections, before the Delhi Assembly elections, BJP had made deepfake videos of party leader Manoj Tiwari using AI.

It showed that he was appealing to voters to cast their votes by talking in two languages.

In this deepfake video, he was appealing to people to cast their votes in Haryanvi and Hindi.

What is the provision in the law?

At the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Diwali celebrations, the Prime Minister had expressed concern over the creation of deepfakes using AI.

He had said, “Deepfake is one of the biggest threats facing India. This can lead to anarchy.”

Union Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has said that the government will soon discuss deepfakes with social media and if these platforms do not take appropriate steps, they will not get immunity or protection under the safe harbor of the IT Act.

He also said that notices were also issued to companies on the issue of deepfakes and their responses have also come in this regard.

After the cases of deepfakes have come to light, the debate has intensified on whether there is a need to make strict laws?

Lawyer Puneet Bhasin says that there is a provision of punishment under the IT Act in India.

Last year, intermediate guidelines were also issued in this regard, which said that if any platform receives a complaint regarding content that contains nudity, obscenity and is harming someone’s dignity, then there are guidelines to remove them immediately.

She says, “Earlier these platforms used to say that they are regulated by the local law of America or the country in which they are. But now these companies ask to register an FIR and then demand a court order to remove the content from the platform.”

On the matter of the IT Minister giving immunity to the companies, she says, “Companies used to get protection under an exception of Section 79 of the IT Act. If a third party has uploaded content on a platform but the platform has not circulated the content, then the platform used to get immunity and it was believed that the platform is not responsible.”

But it was clarified in the Intermediary Guidelines that if such a complaint regarding the content is received by the Grievance Officer of the platform and no further action is taken, then immunity will not be given under the exception of Section 79 and action will be taken against this platform as well.

In such a situation, a case will be made against the person who has uploaded the content on the platform, and the platform on which it was uploaded will also be punished.

Section 66E of the IT Act 2000 of India provides for punishment for criminal cases related to deepfake.

Taking, publishing and broadcasting a person’s photo comes under violation of privacy and if a person is found doing so, then under this Act, there is a provision of punishment up to three years or a fine of up to two lakhs.

At the same time, Section 66D of the IT Act provides that if someone uses any communication device or computer for any malicious intent such as cheating or impersonating someone, then there is a provision of punishment up to three years or a fine of up to one lakh rupees.

Section 66E of the IT Act 2000 of India provides for punishment for criminal cases related to deepfake.

How to know about deepfake?

Some points can be used to identify any deepfake content.

By looking at the eyes – If a video is deepfake, then the face in it will not be able to blink.

By looking at the lips carefully – in the deepfake video, there will be no coherence in the movement of the lips and the conversation.

Through hair and teeth – In deepfake, it is difficult to show changes in hair style and by looking at the teeth, it can be identified that the video is deepfake.

Experts believe that deepfake is a big problem and strict laws need to be made to curb it, otherwise it can have fatal consequences in the future.

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