Former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has urged for swift action to combat the ‘spread of misinformation and deepfakes’ following a manipulated video in which he appeared to claim that his daughter Sara earned money through online video games.
For the uninitiated, deepfakes are computer-generated, highly convincing videos or audio recordings that use artificial intelligence to manipulate and replace the likeness of individuals. Several high profile names have expressed their concerns over these forgeries, pointing out that they are likely to spread misinformation, identity theft, and the erosion of trust in digital content.
Sachin Tendulkar raises concerns over deepfakes:
Sachin Tendulkar, on Monday (January 15), took to X to issue a strongly-worded response after noticing the deepfake video featuring him. The video showed Sachin Tendulkar narrating how the new app helped his daughter earn easy money. The audio used in the video also matched Sachin Tendulkar’s original voice. Calling the video disturbing, the former India batsman wrote:
“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.”
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… pic.twitter.com/4MwXthxSOM
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 15, 2024
This is not the first time that Sachin Tendulkar or his daughter has had to counter misinformation on social media. In November last year, Sara had to take to Instagram to call out fake Twitter accounts spreading misinformation using her name.
“Social media is a wonderful space for all of us to share our joys, sorrows and daily activities. However, it is disconcerting to see the misuse of technology as it takes away from the truth and authenticity of the internet. I have come across some deepfake photos of me which are far from reality,” she wrote.
“A few accounts on X (formerly Twitter) have obviously been created with an intent to impersonate me and mislead people. I do not have an account on X, and I hope X looks into such accounts and suspends them,” she added.
