Digital Deception - How to look out for Deepfakes in a political campaign

What is a Deepfake?

Living in the digital age, AI intelligence has gained popularity and has evolved over the years, making it more difficult to detect. This type of technology has the ability to alter one’s presence, appearance, and voice - transforming their identity and persona. A “deepfake” is a video, photo, auto, or visual that appears to be realistic, but in reality is highly fabricated to masquerade as someone else. Deepfakes have gained worldwide attention over the past decade, and continue to be messengers of misinformation. Criminals and scam artists have utilized deepfakes for theft, but deepfakes have also been used to manipulate public opinion during political campaigns. Deepfakes are extremely dangerous and if not detected, they will negatively impact the democratic process, and exploit partisan divides. Therefore, it is key to raise awareness and learn about the ways to report deepfakes presented in this article. 

The harm of Deepfakes:

Deepfakes affect both candidates and the public during campaigns. They have the ability to ruin one’s reputation, influence voter behavior, and spread disinformation throughout the electioneering process. This leads voters to become confused during elections and left to differentiate between what is true and false. Additionally, deepfakes have the power to polarize society even more by exaggerating stereotypes and provoking conflict, which lead to a greater social divide throughout society. Lastly, deepfakes have the power to discourage voters from participating in elections to have their voice heard. When a deepfake is spread across media platforms it makes it difficult for citizens to trust all posted content - even legitimate news sources. Deepfakes pose a threat to all, and truly damage trust built between democratic institutions and citizens - breeding a pattern of mistrust, and voter suppression. 

Real-World Examples:

Artificial intelligence has made it easy for deepfakes to spread across media platforms, and create content that assassinates a candidate's character or shifts a voter’s mindset - all based on fabricated media. A case where deepfakes influenced voter behavior happened in 2024 during New Hampshire’s state primary. There was a recording that was sent out to voters that said: “We know the value of voting Democratic when our votes count. It’s important you save your vote for the November election”. The audio sounded like President Biden who was encouraging voters to not submit a ballot in New Hampshire’s state primary, but in reality it was a hoax made by artificial intelligence. This situation sparked a shock wave across the United States, and citizens feared that deepfakes could be made to manipulate elections worldwide. Another instance of AI influencing elections would be when the -secular nationalist- political party named Golkar created a deepfake of dictator Suharto. The video of Suharto said: “I am Suharto, the second president of Indonesia.” This video drove attention to the Golkar party and helped endorse votes in Indonesia’s 2024 general elections. As you can see, deepfakes are used to manipulate public opinion, and as they evolve over time they begin to undermine citizen’s trust. 

Legal Challenges:

   Deepfakes infringe upon citizens’ civil and human rights. Unfortunately, there is not much legislation passed regarding deepfakes, and regulating the spread of misinformation. Legislators feel challenged because deepfakes can have a broad definition, and are sometimes seen as artistic expression. Some deepfakes may need to be outright banned, while others just need some regulations, therefore the court takes deepakes on a case by case basis. Additionally, most deepfakes are created with copyrighted data, therefore copyrighting issues come into play such as: Who should the copyright in the deepfake belong to? In 2019, President Donald Trump signed into office the first official piece of legislation regarding deepfakes, which was a part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (NDAA) - a more comprehensive approach to national defense. The three provisions the NDAA made regarding deepfakes were: require a comprehensive report on the foreign weaponization of deepfakes, require the government to notify Congress of foreign deepfake-disinformation activities threatening U.S. elections, and establish a “Deepfake Prize Competition” to encourage the research and production of deepfake identification technology. Overall, the misuse of deepfakes and their ability to manipulate the public reinforces the need for legislation that will help combat their harms and build public confidence again. Luckily, Tech Giants and state governments continue to work together to expose deepfakes,and establish legislation that combats deepfake technology. 

How to spot a Deepfake:

   During a campaign you may see a video being spread where a candidate says an outlandish remark or something offensive. This may surprise you or spark societal alarm. Later on, you find out the video you saw was a hoax and completely fake. Here’s how you can be prepared if you come across a suspicious video - especially during an electoral cycle. When you come across content that does not seem legitimate, it is essential that you try to verify the source. If the source is not credible, and you still feel skeptical about the posted content you should report it. You can either report the content directly to the platform it was posted on such as instagram or you can report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Additionally, a key distinction of a deepfake video is to see if the person is blinking too little or too much and if the person’s lips move naturally. This can help you decipher whether the content is a deepfake or not, and protect society from scam artists. 

Call to Action:

  As deepfakes continue to evolve, become more realistic, and come within easy reach, the integrity of elections and democratic institutions are put in jeopardy. As a responsible citizen, it is crucial that you support legislation that supports transparency, and report skeptical content posted on social media. It is important to call on voters, legislators, media outlets, and politicians to take a stand against fabricated media for the safety of our democracy. ThePartisanPulse calls on you to question the media you see, insist on transparency from campaigns, and educate yourself on AI technology and the power it holds. Your vote deserves to be based on facts not fiction. 

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           Works Cited

Bond, Shannon. “How AI Deepfakes Polluted Elections in 2024.” NPR, 21 Dec. 2024, www.npr.org/2024/12/21/nx-s1-5220301/deepfakes-memes-artificial-intelligence-elections.

Chen, Heather. “AI “Resurrects” Long Dead Dictator in Murky New Era of Deepfake Electioneering.” CNN, 12 Feb. 2024, www.cnn.com/2024/02/12/asia/suharto-deepfake-ai-scam-indonesia-election-hnk-intl/index.html.

Çolak, Betül. “Legal Issues of Deepfakes.” Www.internetjustsociety.org, 19 Jan. 2021, www.internetjustsociety.org/legal-issues-of-deepfakes.

“First Federal Legislation on Deepfakes Signed into Law.” Www.wilmerhale.com, www.wilmerhale.com/en/insights/client-alerts/20191223-first-federal-legislation-on-deepfakes-signed-into-law.

Folts, Emma. “Voters: Here’s How to Spot AI “Deepfakes” That Spread Election-Related Misinformation.” Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College, 2024, www.heinz.cmu.edu/media/2024/October/voters-heres-how-to-spot-ai-deepfakes-that-spread-election-related-misinformation1.

Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). “Internet Crime Complaint Center(IC3) | Home Page.” Www.ic3.Gov, 2024, www.ic3.gov/.

Stanford University. “Dangers of Deepfake: What to Watch for | University IT.” Uit.stanford.edu, 22 Feb. 2024, uit.stanford.edu/news/dangers-deepfake-what-watch.