False Claims and Voice-Overs: Indian Actors Become Targets of Election Fake News using their Deepfakes
Amidst the growing pool of social media content on the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024, the major portion center around the political battles between the parties contesting in these elections. From on-ground videos to leaders’ speeches – political content is being circulated at higher amounts than usual at present. This has also garnered a significant amount of misinformation being forwarded across platforms. One such set of misinforming content is pushing Indian actors at the center of the fake news. The cases of popular actors of the Indian cinema – Ranveer Singh, Aamir Khan, and Allu Arjun have gained attention in the recent few days, raising questions on the authenticity of election-based content spreading like wildfires across platforms.
The deepfake dilemma of Ranveer Singh
Recently, a video of Ranveer Singh was circulated across social media platforms where he was seen criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The video was connected to the actor’s recent visit to Varanasi for Manish Malhotra’s fashion show.
Vote for न्याय 🇮🇳
Vote for Congress ✋ये विडीयो किसने बनाई? pic.twitter.com/v5vwg9eKuc
— Sandeep Chaudhary commentary (@newsSChaudhry) April 18, 2024
The video was a deepfake as it contained an AI voice-over on the original video clip, where statements criticizing the PM were synced with the original voice of the actor. This was a case of AI voice cloning. Several accounts on social media platforms had shared this video previously, but eventually many were taken down after the false claim was brought to attention. The actor also filed a complaint with Mumbai cyber crime cell. Singh took to his social media account and shared his feelings over the incident saying, “Deepfake se bacho doston” (Friends, beware of deepfakes).
Deepfake se bacho dostonnnn 💀
— Ranveer Singh (@RanveerOfficial) April 19, 2024
Aamir Khan and the voice-over menace
Indian actor Aamir Khan too became a victim of the fake news spreads around election based news stories. The actor is seen talking about ‘two guarantees’- one hinting at the misleading promises and another which promised ‘paanch nyay’ (five justices) for development, as endorsed by Congress. The video was seen as a promotional video for Congress.
However, it was found that this video was originally from a promotional video for the show Satyamev Jayate, uploaded on 30 August, 2016.
Allu Arjun and the campaign claims
Actor Allu Arjun became a part of viral fake news as his photo was circulated stating that he was campaigning for congress party. Posts of the actor with this claim were widely circulated across social media platforms.
Allu Arjun the biggest super star of India is campaigning for congress party. pic.twitter.com/rSErtscMnM
— KRK (@kamaalrkhan) April 20, 2024
Allu Arjun the biggest super star of India is campaigning for congress party.#Congress #Elections2024 pic.twitter.com/Z6auslVIuY
— Salman⭐ (@salmanmkjw) April 21, 2024
However, it was found that this video clip is from the 40th India Day Parade in New York with the popular Telugu actor as Grand Marshal, therefore rejecting the viral claims being made about the actor campaigning for Congress in the recent elections.
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