A form of manipulation evolving with new technologies: Deepfake

Experts warn against content produced with deepfake technology, which has been highly topical recently… So much so that very detailed examination is required to detect it. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan states that errors in images, flaws in a person's face and head movements, the frequency of blinking, and whether there is distortion in the image when the person moves are examined, adding that a person's image, movements, and voice can be imitated very closely to reality. Pehlivan says that its use for fake news and black propaganda causes great concern, and adds that deepfake technology is an extremely dangerous tool for manipulating society. 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan: “Deepfake is an extremely dangerous tool for manipulating society”

Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication Vice Dean, Journalism Department faculty member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan made statements about deepfake, which has recently occupied the agenda.

It can imitate a person's image and voice very closely to reality…

Defining ‘deepfake’ as a form of manipulation evolving with new technologies, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan explained, “It can imitate a person's image, movements, and voice very closely to reality. Thus, it can make a person appear to have done things they didn't do, or said things they didn't say. In general, synthetic media technology, in addition to simulating people's actions, can also generate visuals of non-existent people or alter various features of real images.”

Deepfake hinders citizens' right to obtain accurate information 

“We can say that deepfake technology is based on deep learning-based artificial intelligence technology that transfers faces from one person to another, using source images of the person desired to be imitated,” said Pehlivan, noting that this technology is becoming increasingly widespread and easier to use. 

Pehlivan stated that one of the concerns about this issue is that it often targets women. “Moreover, its use for fake news and black propaganda also creates great concern. It appears to be an extremely dangerous tool for manipulating society. In our age, where misinformation spreads very quickly, and even if it turns out to be false, its spread cannot be prevented, and the damage cannot be remedied, it poses great problems both individually and societally. In this respect, it constitutes a threat to the democratic order and hinders citizens' right to obtain accurate information.” she explained.

Fake content that can manipulate can lead to polarization… 

Reminding that the production and dissemination of non-real images of individuals is a criminal offense in itself, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahar Muratoğlu Pehlivan said, “Through deepfake, false information is spread about individuals whose images are simulated, and the personal rights of these individuals are violated. Furthermore, being able to produce such images facilitates committing other crimes through new communication technologies. Another problem is that the sharing of fake content that can manipulate society can lead to polarization and conflict within society.”

Detecting deepfake content requires very detailed examination

Underlining that detecting deepfake content requires very detailed examination of images and analyzing each frame separately, Pehlivan said, “Errors in images, flaws in a person's face and head movements, the frequency of blinking, and whether there is distortion in the image when the person moves are examined. Tools and programs developed for this purpose can be used.”

Pehlivan also noted that there are developing artificial intelligence applications for detecting deepfake, concluding her words as follows:
“Of course, deepfake technology is also developing day by day, and existing verification tools may become insufficient one day. However, verification and synthetic media detection techniques will continue to develop in the same direction. The important thing is to approach content disseminated through new communication technologies with skepticism and to follow whether it has been verified.”