India: Deepfake of Prominent Journalist Anjana Om Kashyap in Deceptive Health Product Ad
Women Press Freedom deeply concerned by escalating misuse of deepfake technology to fabricate and disseminate misleading content involving journalists
Location: India, New Delhi
Date: February 22, 2024Women Press Freedom firmly stands against the malicious use of deepfake technology in media and the consequent threats it poses to the safety, dignity, and professional integrity of journalists, particularly women. The recent incident involving the unauthorized use of deepfake technology to misrepresent Anjana Om Kashyap, a respected news anchor, and Dr. Devi Shetty, a prominent cardiac surgeon, in a fabricated health product advertisement is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities that journalists face in the digital age. The proliferation of deepfake content not only jeopardizes the careers of individual journalists but also erodes public trust in the media as a whole. Such deceptive practices undermine the fundamental principles of truth and accountability that journalism stands by. Therefore, it is crucial that all stakeholders — media professionals, technology platforms, and policymakers — collaborate to implement stringent measures to curb the spread of fake news and protect the integrity of journalistic content. We urge technology companies to enhance their content moderation policies and to develop more sophisticated tools for detecting and flagging AI-generated fake content. Social media platforms, in particular, must take greater responsibility in monitoring and promptly addressing fraudulent content to prevent its spread. We demand a swift enactment of stronger legislative frameworks that specifically address the challenges posed by deepfake technology. These laws should not only penalize the creation and distribution of malicious deepfake content but also protect the rights and reputations of those unjustly portrayed.
Women Press Freedom has found a deepfake video circulating on social media falsely featuring Aaj Tak news anchor Anjana Om Kashyap and distinguished cardiac surgeon Dr. Devi Shetty in a fabricated interview promoting a joint pain relief medication.
The deceptive clip, adorned with the Aaj Tak news channel logo, misleads viewers by showing Kashyap inquiring about a new medication purportedly guaranteeing a cure for various joint ailments within two weeks. Dr. Shetty appears to endorse the product's extensive benefits.
This misuse of deepfake technology represents a growing threat to women journalists, undermining their safety, dignity, and professional integrity, as documented by Women Press Freedom. The unchecked spread of such fraudulent content highlights severe gaps in existing legislation and the slow response from technology platforms to moderate and address these abuses, thus facilitating ongoing harm and diminishing media credibility.
Analysis reveals that the video clips of Kashyap and Dr. Shetty were digitally manipulated, combining unrelated footage with synthetically generated audio to falsely suggest their endorsement of the pain relief product. Notably, the original clip of Dr. Shetty, derived from a Narayana Health YouTube video dated May 17, 2023, discusses hypertension, not joint pain relief, and Kashyap's original clip related to the endorsement remains unidentified.
Further investigation into the marketed product, sold as ORIGINAL™ ADIVASI PAIN RELIEF OIL, uncovered more inconsistencies. Claims of certifications from authorities such as GMP, HACCP, and the Ayush Ministry could not be verified. Dr. Zakir Hossain, a medical expert, voiced doubts about the oil's effectiveness, citing a lack of scientific support.
The associated e-commerce site lacked transparency, providing no details about the manufacturer or its location, raising significant concerns about both the product's and the site's legitimacy. An image claiming to feature Dr. Rajesh Khanna endorsing the oil was actually identified as Dr. Avinash Kumar Dubey, a nephrologist with no affiliation to the product.
Women Press Freedom has documented a surge in such incidents, emphasizing that deepfake videos not only target individual journalists but are also used to endorse scams and other deceptive activities. These attacks pose direct threats to the journalists' professional integrity and contribute to a broader erosion of trust in the media.
This situation is exacerbated by insufficient responses from major social media platforms. For instance, YouTube's policy requires uploaders to disclose AI alterations, and Facebook lacks specific guidelines for AI-generated audio, indicating a significant regulatory gap that allows harmful content to proliferate nearly unchecked, forcing journalists to manage the reputational and personal safety repercussions.
In response, some journalists have taken proactive steps, including disavowing manipulated content through their channels or collaborating with their newsrooms to produce segments that clarify and refute the disinformation. However, these measures often fall short of fully countering the rapid spread and impact of AI-driven disinformation campaigns.
The escalation of AI-generated content targeting women and LGBTQI journalists underscores the urgent need for more robust content moderation policies from social media companies, improved AI detection tools, and increased collaboration between the tech industry and journalism professionals to safeguard the truth and protect those who report it. As AI technology advances, the challenge of discerning between real and manipulated content grows, stressing the importance of joint efforts among journalists, tech companies, and policymakers to protect press freedom and maintain the integrity of our information ecosystem.
Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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