The Delhi Police arrested the main accused in the case related to the deepfake video of actor Rashmika Mandanna in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday. The deepfake video, which circulated on social media in November 2023, featured the face of British-Indian influencer Zara Patel in a black workout dress, edited and replaced with that of the Bollywood actor.
"Main accused in the case of deep fake profiles of actor Rashmika Mandana arrested," said DCP Hemant Tiwari, IFSO Unit, ANI quoted.
Deepfake video targeting actress Rashmika Mandanna
In November, a "deepfake" video circulated on social media, featuring actress Rashmika Mandanna's face and depicting her entering an elevator. The video is misleading, as the original clip involves social media influencer Zara Patel. Rashmika Mandanna's face was digitally manipulated in the video. As the video went viral, several people and netizens called for action against such fake videos in general, specifically addressing the one involving Rashmika Mandanna.
Following the incident, the Delhi Police filed a case under sections 465 (forgery) and 469 (harming reputation) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Additionally, charges were brought under sections 66C (identity theft) and 66E (privacy violation) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Rashmika Mandanna also spoke out against the deepfake video, expressing her deep hurt and fear regarding the misuse of technology. Taking to her media platform X, the "Animal" actress shared her thoughts, saying, "I feel really hurt to share this and have to talk about the deepfake video of me being spread online. Something like this is honestly, extremely scary not only for me, but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused."
She added, "Today, as a woman and as an actor, I am thankful for my family, friends and well-wishers who are my protection and support system. But if this happened to me when I was in school or college, I genuinely can’t imagine how could I ever tackle this. We need to address this as a community and with urgency before more of us are affected by such identity theft."
Woman from the original clip in Rashmika Mandanna's deepfake video also reacts to controversy, Zara Patel took to her Instagram story to address the issue, stating, “Hi all, It has come to my attention that someone created a deepfake video using my body and a popular Bollywood actresses face. I had no involvement with the deepfake video, and I'm deeply disturbed and upset by what is happening." "I worry about the future of women and girls who now have to fear even more about putting themselves on social media. Please take a step back and fact-check what you see on the internet. Not everything on the internet is real." She urged people to exercise caution and fact-check information found online, emphasizing that not everything on the internet is real."
The aftermath of the viral deepfake video prompted the Centre to issue an advisory to social media platforms, calling for legal provisions covering deepfakes and the potential penalties associated with their creation and circulation. "Deepfake is a big issue for all of us. We recently issued notices to all the big social media forms, asking them to take steps to identify deepfakes, for removing those content. The social media platforms have responded. They are taking action. We have told them to be more aggressive in this work," Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said earlier.
Earlier this week, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar became the victim of malicious creation and dissemination of deepfake content. The master blaster, on Monday, January 15, took to X to address the disturbing misuse of technology, urging vigilance and swift action against the spread of misinformation. He shared a deepfake video in which he can be seen advertising for a gaming app and advocating for its ability to help people earn money.
"These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see the rampant misuse of technology. Request everyone to report videos, ads, and apps like these in large numbers. Social media platforms need to be alert and responsive to complaints. Swift action from their end is crucial to stopping the spread of misinformation and deepfakes," Sachin Tendulkar said in a post on X.
In the video, Sachin Tendulkar can be seen promoting an app called "Skyward Aviator Quest" and even claims that his daughter Sara Tendulkar is earning good money by playing on this application. The video depicts Sachin Tendulkar casually sitting and promoting the app, but a close look at the video reveals that it is fake.
After master blaster Sachin Tendulkar flagged a deepfake video, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar assured tighter rules under the Information Technology (IT) Act to ensure compliance by social media platforms operational in the country.
Chandrasekhar expressed gratitude to Sachin Tendulkar for bringing attention to the issue, emphasizing the threats posed by deepfakes and AI-driven misinformation to the safety and trust of Indian users. In a tweet, Union Minister stated, "Thank you @sachin_rt for this tweet #DeepFakes and misinformation powered by #AI are a threat to Safety&Trust of Indian users and represents harm & legal violation that platforms hv to prevent and take down. Recent Advisory by @GoI_MeitY requires platforms to comply wth this 100%. We will be shortly notifying tighter rules under IT Act to ensure compliance by platforms."
What is a deepfake video?
A deepfake video is a clip in which a person's face (mainly) or body features are digitally altered so that they appear to be someone else. It is often used to spread false information about a celebrity or public figure to mislead audiences and people.