Deepfakes in age of AI! Worried about photos and videos being manipulated? Know how to be safe

In the age of AI, deepfakes are emerging as the biggest threat to privacy! Know how to protect yourself from fake photos and videos.

Check out the ways through which you can safeguard yourself from being a victim of deepfakes in the age of AI. (REUTERS)

Over the past few years, humanity has become very technologically dependent, heavily reliant on devices for professional and personal purposes. Now, technologies such as Artificial intelligence and machine learning are even deciding the way we function by bringing in various advances, changing even national cultures globally. While most of these changes are positive, there are some people who are misusing these technologies to manipulate and scam people. One such growing concern that has emerged in recent times is in the form of “Deepfakes” - photos, videos, audio and more. We have seen several cases of fake videos and images of famous celebrities being manipulated to show them in poor light or send the wrong message.

In no time, you can also be targeted and become a victim of deepfakes, which can have serious and disturbing consequences. Therefore, one must stay vigilant and take the necessary steps to stay safe. Know what are deepfakes and the correct ways to protect yourself.

What is deepfake?

According to a National Cybersecurity Alliance report, deep fakes are artificial intelligence-generated videos, images, and audio that are edited or manipulated to make anyone say or do anything that they did not do in real life. Deepfakes can be used to defraud, manipulate, and defame anyone, be it a celebrity, politician, or common people. NCA said, “if your vocal identity and sensitive information got into the wrong hands, a cybercriminal could use deepfaked audio to contact your bank.”

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As scary as it sounds, you can always take safety and privacy measures to protect yourself from being a victim of such a heinous crime. Check out how to protect yourself from deepfakes.

How to safeguard from deepfakes

1. The first thing one should do is activate all the privacy settings on websites and social media so that no one can get access to your personal information and content. Users can also limit access to who can see your photos, videos, or other data.

2. Look for clear cues if you come across a video that seems too good to be true. Check if the video or image has jerky movements, weird facial movements of lips and eyes, strange placements of facial expressions, etc. Refrain from sharing such videos with others to stop spreading fake information.

3. Use watermarking on your photos and videos when you are sharing them on online platforms. Watermarks work as a digital fingerprint which can put scammers in danger and they will think twice before manipulating your image or videos. There are some apps available that can do that properly.

4. The most important thing is to gain knowledge about deepfakes, generative AI and how such technologies can be used to trick innocent people. Stay updated about the recent advancements and crimes taking place in the world.

5. Strengthen your passwords and enable multi-factor authentication for your digital space. It is an extra layer of security that requires a user to log in to your account twice with the owner's permission. No one other than you can access your account without your permission with multi-factor authentication.