Deepfake Technology

• 20 Dec 2022

For Prelims: Deepfake technology, deep synthesis technology, Artificial Intelligence technology,

For Mains: Impact of Deepfake Technology.

Why in News?

The Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s cyberspace watchdog, is rolling out new regulations to restrict the use of deep synthesis technology and curb disinformation.

• The policy requires deep synthesis service providers and users to ensure that any doctored content using the technology is explicitly labelled and can be traced back to its source.

What is Deep Synthesis?

• Deep synthesis is defined as the use of technologies, including deep learning and augmented reality, to generate text, images, audio and video to create virtual scenes.
  • One of the most notorious applications of the technology is deepfakes, where synthetic media is used to swap the face or voice of one person for another.
  • Deepfakes are getting harder to detect with the advancement of technology.

What is Deepfake Technology?

• About:
  • Deepfake technology is a method for manipulating videos, images, audios utilizing powerful computers and deep learning.
  • It is used to generate fake news and commit financial fraud among other wrong doings.
  • It overlays a digital composite over an already-existing video, picture, or audio; cybercriminals use Artificial Intelligence technology.
• Origin of the Word:
  • The term deepfake originated in 2017, when an anonymous Reddit user called himself “Deepfakes.”
  • This user manipulated Google’s open-source, deep-learning technology to create and post pornographic videos.
• Misuse:
  • Deepfake technology is now being used for nefarious purposes like scams and hoaxes, celebrity pornography, election manipulation, social engineering, automated disinformation attacks, identity theft and financial fraud etc.
  • Deepfake technology has been used to impersonate notable personalities like former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, etc.

What are other Countries doing to Combat Deepfakes?

• European Union:
  • The European Union has an updated Code of Practice to stop the spread of disinformation through deepfakes.
  • The revised Code requires tech companies including Google, Meta, and Twitter to take measures in countering deepfakes and fake accounts on their platforms.
  • They have six months to implement their measures once they have signed up to the Code.
  • If found non-compliant, these companies can face fines as much as 6% of their annual global turnover, according to the updated Code.
  • Introduced in 2018, the Code of Practice on Disinformation brought together for the first-time worldwide industry players to commit to counter disinformation.
• United States:
  • The U.S. introduced the bipartisan Deepfake Task Force Act to assist the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to counter deepfake technology.
  • The measure directs the DHS to conduct an annual study of deepfakes assess the technology used, track its uses by foreign and domestic entities, and come up with available countermeasures to tackle the same.
  • California and Texas have passed laws that criminalize the publishing and distributing of deepfake videos that intend to influence the outcome of an election. The law in Virginia imposes criminal penalties on the distribution of nonconsensual deepfake pornography.
• India:
  • In India, however, there are no legal rules against using deepfake technology.
  • However, specific laws can be addressed for misusing the tech, which include Copyright Violation, Defamation and cyber felonies.

Way forward

• As media consumers, we must be able to decipher, understand, translate, and use the information we encounter.
• The best method to deal with this problem is with technical solutions supported by artificial intelligence that can recognize and block deep fakes.
• Prior to resolving the issues associated with deep fakes, media literacy has to be improved.
• There is also a need for easy-to-use and accessible technology solutions to detect deep fakes, authenticate media, and amplify authoritative sources.
• On the part of society, to counter the menace of deep fakes, there is a need to take the responsibility to be a critical consumer of media on the Internet, think and pause before sharing on social media, and be part of the solution.

Source: TH