Digital deception: How political deepfakes threaten election integrity
Plus, tips on how you can fight back against misinformation and educate yourself about deepfakes
Plus, tips on how you can fight back against misinformation and educate yourself about deepfakes
Plus, tips on how you can fight back against misinformation and educate yourself about deepfakes
You鈥檝e probably seen the word "deepfakes" in the news lately, but are you confident you would be able to spot the difference between real and artificial intelligence-generated content?
During the summer, a video of Vice President Kamala Harris saying that she was 鈥渢he ultimate diversity hire鈥� and 鈥渒new nothing about running the country鈥� circulated on social media. Elon Musk, the owner of X, . This was, in fact, a deepfake video.
By posting it, Musk seemingly ignored X鈥檚 own misinformation policies and shared it with his 193 million followers.
Although the , deepfakes on social media and in campaign advertisements are yet to be subject to a federal ban.
A growing number of state legislatures have begun submitting bills to regulate deepfakes as concerns about the spread of misinformation and explicit content heighten on both sides of the aisle.
In September, with less than 50 days before the election, California Gov. Gavin Newsom 鈥� one of which takes effect immediately.
bans individuals and groups 鈥渇rom knowingly distributing an advertisement or other election material containing deceptive AI-generated or manipulated content.鈥�
This ban would take effect 120 days before an election and 60 days after it, an aim at reducing content that may spread misinformation as votes are being counted and certified.
鈥淪igning AB 2839 into law is a significant step in continuing to protect the integrity of our democratic process. With fewer than 50 days until the general election, there is an urgent need to protect against misleading, digitally altered content that can interfere with the election,鈥� said Gail Pellerin, the chair of the Assembly Elections Committee.
According to , 25 states have now either signed a bill into law that addresses political deepfakes or have a bill that is awaiting the governor鈥檚 signature.
Do you know how to spot a deepfake?
According to cyber news reporter and cybersecurity expert , 鈥渁 deepfake is a computer-created image or voice or video of a person, either a person who doesn't exist but seems real, or a person who does exist, making them do or say something they never actually did or said.鈥�
Tomlinson says there are several giveaways to identify a deepfake.
- Objects and parts of the face, such as earrings, teeth or glasses, may not be fully formed.
- Pay attention to the breathing. The speaker takes no breaths while speaking.
- Ask yourself: Is the message potentially harmful or manipulating?
- Can the information be verified?
Ultimately, Tomlinson encourages people to 鈥渓earn about how attackers are using deepfakes. Learn about how politicians and political parties are using deepfakes. Read about it. It's as simple as that.鈥�