Deepfake video: Delhi Police writes to Meta for URL

The Delhi Police has also sought information on individuals who disseminated the fabricated video on social media.

Business Today, New Delhi, Nov 11, 2023 :  The Delhi Police has written to Meta to provide the URL of the account from which the 'deepfake' video of actress Rashmika Mandanna was shared on social media, officials said on Saturday.

The move came a day after the city police filed an FIR in connection with the incident.

Deepfake videos are synthetic media in which a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else's likeness.

The Delhi Police has formally contacted Meta, requesting the URL of the account responsible for sharing the 'deepfake' video featuring actress Rashmika Mandanna on social media. This action follows the filing of an FIR by the city police in connection with the incident.

As part of the ongoing investigations, the Delhi Police has also sought information on individuals who disseminated the fabricated video on social media. "We have communicated with Meta to obtain the URL ID associated with the account responsible for generating the video," disclosed an officer familiar with the probe to PTI.

The FIR, lodged at the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations Unit of the Delhi Police's Special Cell, invokes sections 465 (forgery) and 469 (forgery for the purpose of harming reputation) of the Indian Penal Code, along with sections 66C and 66E of the Information Technology Act.

To address this issue, a specialised team of officers has been assembled, with optimism expressed by an officer that the case will be resolved promptly. Additionally, the Delhi Commission for Women has issued a notice to the city police, urging action against those implicated in the video incident.

Last week, a deepfake video featuring Rashmika Madanna, suspected to have been created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence, gained widespread attention on social media. The original video purportedly belonged to a British-Indian influencer, with Mandanna's face digitally superimposed.

What is a Deepfake?

A deepfake is a type of synthetic media that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create or manipulate content, typically in the form of audio, images, or videos, with the goal of appearing authentic or real. The term "deepfake" is derived from the combination of "deep learning" (a subset of machine learning) and "fake."

In the context of videos, deepfakes can involve swapping faces or altering the facial expressions of individuals in a way that convincingly makes it seem like they are saying or doing things they never did. This technology has raised concerns due to its potential for misuse, such as creating misleading or fraudulent content, spreading misinformation, and potentially causing harm to individuals by placing them in fabricated scenarios.

Deepfakes have applications beyond manipulating videos, including generating realistic-sounding voice recordings and creating convincing images. As a result, there have been efforts to develop technologies to detect and mitigate the impact of deepfakes, particularly in the realms of cybersecurity and media integrity.