What are Deepfakes?

Deepfakes are typically fake videos that project someone's face onto other’s bodies. These can vary from the face of Donald Trump, all the way to that of Justin Bieber. Many deepfakes can be seen on pornographic sites, where celebrities' faces are placed on other bodies. This is not only a blatant transgression against the individual’s right to privacy, but it is also extremely distressing for the unknowing subject of the deepfake.

A recent instance of deepfakes in the media was that of HM Queen Elizabeth II after the Royal Christmas Message.1 Here, the Queen acted and spoke unusually causing great confusion. Even though it was published by Channel 4, a reputable company, the fake speech gained Channel 4 an impressive 354 complaints.2 Ironically, the video’s purpose was to publicise the dangers of deepfakes!

So, why are they dangerous? The dangers of deepfakes are clear. The primary issue is that the possible victims of deepfakes are limitless; everyone can be projected onto a video and made to say whatever the creator of the deepfake wants. This may ruin careers, tarnish reputations, spread fake news, and even potentially lead to wars - as explored by J.M. Porup.4

Zooming out, such mechanisms could sway public opinion on politics, religion, and even morality. Thus, I argue that deepfakes contribute to the pervasive spread of misinformation in popular media and so greater awareness is crucial in mitigating their impact.

How do we detect deepfakes? Current technology does not allow easy creation of deepfakes. Thus, many of the modified videos can be quickly identified by adopting a more critical focus. However, some are very believable and as technology inevitably advances it is only a matter of time until deepfakes will be created as easily as filters are added to photos. Therefore, as detection becomes increasingly difficult to the naked eye, one solution is to ensure that the media sources we consume are established and reputable, thereby reducing the chance of deepfake distortions. Deepfakes, like fake news, are only as powerful as people allow them to be. The ease with which people can share information on platforms like Twitter means that deepfakes may not be scrutinised to the same extent as newspaper articles. So, people have a social responsibility to consider the media they consume and make judgments on the possibility that they may be spreading deepfakes or other fake news.

To conclude… Hopefully, now you have a general understanding of the concept of deepfakes. To reduce their impact, you can take two steps. The first, is to educate yourself through YouTube, free news articles or through the Exeter Media Watch social media pages, all provide free information. The second, is to educate others; share your findings with others and we can limit the effects of deepfakes.

By Ethan O’Gorman Davies.

Bibliography

[1] Channel 4, Deepfake Queen: 2020 Alternative Christmas Message (2021) <https://Youtu.be/lvY-Abd2FfM> [accessed 27 January 2021]

2 Uncredited, ‘Channel 4 Deepfake Queen complaints dropped by Ofcom’, BBC News, (January 2021)

<https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55799653> [accessed 27 January 2021]

3 Uncredited, ‘Channel 4 Deepfake Queen complaints dropped by Ofcom’, BBC News, (January 2021)

<https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55799653> [accessed 27 January 2021]

4 J.M. Porup, ‘How and why deepfake videos work – and what is at risk’, CSO Online, (April 2019) <https://www.csoonline.com/article/3293002/deepfake-videos-how-and-why-they-work.html> [accessed 10 January 2021]

5 J.M. Porup, ‘How and why deepfake videos work – and what is at risk’, CSO Online, (April 2019) <https://www.csoonline.com/article/3293002/deepfake-videos-how-and-why-they-work.html> [accessed 10 January 2021]