Sachin Tendulkar becomes latest victim of deepfake video, says he feels disturbed seeing rampant misuse of technology

In a viral video, Sachin could be seen promoting a gaming app named "Skyward Aviator Quest". 

In the deep fake video, Sachin could be seen not only endorsing the app but even claiming that his daughter Sara is gaining financial benefits from it.

Warning people about such videos, Sachin Tendulkar posted on X: "These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology. Request everyone to report videos, ads & 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," he said.

What is deepfake?

Deepfakes are a synthetic media created by machine-learning algorithms named for the deep-learning methods used in the creation process and the fake events they depict, according to Discover Data Science website.

The term reportedly gained popularity in 2017 after a Reddit user by the name of “deepfake” created a subreddit and even started posting videos that used face-swapping technology to insert celebrities’ likenesses into already existing pornographic videos.

Is it new in India?

Sachin's video is not the first case of deepfake video affecting celebrities. Previously, videos of Bollywood celebrities like Alia Bhatt,Kajol and Katrina Kaif circulated online.

The case of Rashmika Mandana

Last year, a deepfake video of southern actress Rashmika Mandana went viral on various social media platforms.

The Delhi Police issued a case over the AI-generated video of the actress.

According to reports, the video in question originally featured social media influencer Zara Patel.

However, in the Deepfake video, her face was changed to Rashmika's.

Measures taken by Indian government

Amid rising deepfake videos, the Indian government's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) last year issued an advisory to all intermediaries, ensuring compliance with the existing IT rules and the directive specifically targeted the growing concerns around misinformation powered by AI – deepfakes.

The advisory mandated that intermediaries communicate prohibited content, particularly those specified under Rule 3(1)(b) of the IT Rules, clearly and precisely to users.

This advisory is the culmination of the discussions held by Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Electronics & IT and Jal Shakti, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar during Digital India dialogues with intermediaries within one month.

The advisory stated that, “The content not permitted under the IT Rules, in particular those listed under Rule 3(1)(b) must be clearly communicated to the users in clear and precise language including through its terms of service and user agreements and the same must be expressly informed to the user at the time of first-registration and also as regular reminders, in particular, at every instance of login and while uploading/sharing information onto the platform.”