#FactCheck - Debunking the AI-Generated Image of an Alleged Israeli Army Dog Attack
Executive Summary:
A photo allegedly shows an Israeli Army dog attacking an elderly Palestinian woman has been circulating online on social media. However, the image is misleading as it was created using Artificial Intelligence (AI), as indicated by its graphical elements, watermark ("IN.VISUALART"), and basic anomalies. Although there are certain reports regarding the real incident in several news channels, the viral image was not taken during the actual event. This emphasizes the need to verify photos and information shared on social media carefully.
Claims:
A photo circulating in the media depicts an Israeli Army dog attacking an elderly Palestinian woman.
Fact Check:
Upon receiving the posts, we closely analyzed the image and found certain discrepancies that are commonly seen in AI-generated images. We can clearly see the watermark “IN.VISUALART” and also the hand of the old lady looks odd.
We then checked in AI-Image detection tools named, True Media and contentatscale AI detector. Both found potential AI Manipulation in the image.
Both tools found it to be AI Manipulated. We then keyword searched for relevant news regarding the viral photo. Though we found relevant news, we didn’t get any credible source for the image.
The photograph that was shared around the internet has no credible source. Hence the viral image is AI-generated and fake.
Conclusion:
The circulating photo of an Israeli Army dog attacking an elderly Palestinian woman is misleading. The incident did occur as per the several news channels, but the photo depicting the incident is AI-generated and not real.
- Claim: A photo being shared online shows an elderly Palestinian woman being attacked by an Israeli Army dog.
- Claimed on: X, Facebook, LinkedIn
- Fact Check: Fake & Misleading
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Introduction
Deepfake have become a source of worry in an age of advanced technology, particularly when they include the manipulation of public personalities for deceitful reasons. A deepfake video of cricket star Sachin Tendulkar advertising a gaming app recently went popular on social media, causing the sports figure to deliver a warning against the widespread misuse of technology.
Scenario of Deepfake
Sachin Tendulkar appeared in the deepfake video supporting a game app called Skyward Aviator Quest. The app's startling quality has caused some viewers to assume that the cricket legend is truly supporting it. Tendulkar, on the other hand, has resorted to social media to emphasise that these videos are phony, highlighting the troubling trend of technology being abused for deceitful ends.
Tendulkar's Reaction
Sachin Tendulkar expressed his worry about the exploitation of technology and advised people to report such videos, advertising, and applications that spread disinformation. This event emphasises the importance of raising knowledge and vigilance about the legitimacy of material circulated on social media platforms.
The Warning Signs
The deepfake video raises questions not just for its lifelike representation of Tendulkar, but also for the material it advocates. Endorsing gaming software that purports to help individuals make money is a significant red flag, especially when such endorsements come from well-known figures. This underscores the possibility of deepfakes being utilised for financial benefit, as well as the significance of examining information that appears to be too good to be true.
How to Protect Yourself Against Deepfakes
As deepfake technology advances, it is critical to be aware of potential signals of manipulation. Here are some pointers to help you spot deepfake videos:
- Look for artificial facial movements and expressions, as well as lip sync difficulties.
- Body motions and Posture: Take note of any uncomfortable body motions or discrepancies in the individual's posture.
- Lip Sync and Audio Quality: Look for mismatches between the audio and lip motions.
- background and Content: Consider the video's background, especially if it has a popular figure supporting something in an unexpected way.
- Verify the legitimacy of the video by verifying the official channels or accounts of the prominent person.
Conclusion
The popularity of deepfake videos endangers the legitimacy of social media material. Sachin Tendulkar's response to the deepfake in which he appears serves as a warning to consumers to remain careful and report questionable material. As technology advances, it is critical that individuals and authorities collaborate to counteract the exploitation of AI-generated material and safeguard the integrity of online information.
Reference
- https://www.news18.com/tech/sachin-tendulkar-disturbed-by-his-new-deepfake-video-wants-swift-action-8740846.html
- https://www.livemint.com/news/india/sachin-tendulkar-becomes-latest-victim-of-deepfake-video-disturbing-to-see-11705308366864.html
Introduction
Cyber slavery is a form of modern exploitation that begins with online deception and evolves into physical human trafficking. In recent times, cyber slavery has emerged as a serious threat that involves exploiting individuals through digital means under coercive or deceptive conditions. Offenders target innocent individuals and lure them by giving fake promises to offer them employment or alike. Cyber slavery can occur on a global scale, targeting vulnerable individuals worldwide through the internet and is a disturbing continuum of online manipulation that leads to real-world abuse and exploitation, where individuals are entrapped by false promises and subjected to severe human rights violations. It can take many different forms, such as coercive involvement in cybercrime, forced employment in online frauds, exploitation in the gig economy, or involuntary slavery. This issue has escalated to the highest level where Indians are being trafficked for jobs in countries like Laos and Cambodia. Recently over 5,000 Indians were reported to be trapped in Southeast Asia, where they are allegedly being coerced into carrying out cyber fraud. It was reported that particularly Indian techies were lured to Cambodia for high-paying jobs and later they found themselves trapped in cyber fraud schemes, forced to work 16 hours a day under severe conditions. This is the harsh reality for thousands of Indian tech professionals who are lured under false pretences to employment in Southeast Asia, where they are forced into committing cyber crimes.
Over 5,000 Indians Held in Cyber Slavery and Human Trafficking Rings
India has rescued 250 citizens in Cambodia who were forced to run online scams, with more than 5,000 Indians stuck in Southeast Asia. The victims, mostly young and tech-savvy, are lured into illegal online work ranging from money laundering and crypto fraud to love scams, where they pose as lovers online. It was reported that Indians are being trafficked for jobs in countries like Laos and Cambodia, where they are forced to conduct cybercrime activities. Victims are often deceived about where they would be working, thinking it will be in Thailand or the Philippines. Instead, they are sent to Cambodia, where their travel documents are confiscated and they are forced to carry out a variety of cybercrimes, from stealing life savings to attacking international governmental or non-governmental organizations. The Indian embassy in Phnom Penh has also released an advisory warning Indian nationals of advertisements for fake jobs in the country through which victims are coerced to undertake online financial scams and other illegal activities.
Regulatory Landscape
Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) is prohibited under the Constitution of India under Article
23 (1). The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, of 1956 (ITPA) is the premier legislation for the prevention of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation. Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, is a comprehensive legal provision aimed at combating organized crime and will be useful in persecuting people involved in such large-scale scams. India has also ratified certain bilateral agreements with several countries to facilitate intelligence sharing and coordinated efforts to combat transnational organized crime and human trafficking.
CyberPeace Policy Recommendations
● Misuse of Technology has exploited the new genre of cybercrimes whereby cybercriminals utilise social media platforms as a tool for targeting innocent individuals. It requires collective efforts from social media companies and regulatory authorities to time to time address the new emerging cybercrimes and develop robust preventive measures to counter them.
● Despite the regulatory mechanism in place, there are certain challenges such as jurisdictional challenges, challenges in detection due to anonymity, and investigations challenges which significantly make the issue of cyber human trafficking a serious evolving threat. Hence International collaboration between the countries is encouraged to address the issue considering the present situation in a technologically driven world. Robust legislation that addresses both national and international cases of human trafficking and contains strict penalties for offenders must be enforced.
● Cybercriminals target innocent people by offering fake high-pay job opportunities, building trust and luring them. It is high time that all netizens should be aware of such tactics deployed by bad actors and recognise the early signs of them. By staying vigilant and cross-verifying the details from authentic sources, netizens can safeguard themselves from such serious threats which even endanger their life by putting them under restrictions once they are being trafficked. It is a notable fact that the Indian government and its agencies are continuously making efforts to rescue the victims of cyber human trafficking or cyber slavery, they must further develop robust mechanisms in place to conduct specialised operations by specialised government agencies to rescue the victims in a timely manner.
● Capacity building and support mechanisms must be encouraged by government entities, cyber security experts and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to empower the netizens to follow best practices while navigating the online landscape, providing them with helpline or help centres to report any suspicious activity or behaviour they encounter, and making them empowered to feel safe on the Internet while simultaneously building defenses to stay protected from cyber threats.
References:
2. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-68705913
3. https://therecord.media/india-rescued-cambodia-scam-centers-citizens
4. https://www.the420.in/rescue-indian-tech-workers-cambodia-cyber-fraud-awareness/
7. https://www.dyami.services/post/intel-brief-250-indian-citizens-rescued-from-cyber-slavery
8. https://www.mea.gov.in/human-trafficking.htm
9. https://www.drishtiias.com/blog/the-vicious-cycle-of-human-trafficking-and-cybercrime
Executive Summary
The viral video, in which south actor Allu Arjun is seen supporting the Congress Party's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha Election, suggests that he has joined Congress Party. Over the course of an investigation, the CyberPeace Research Team uncovered that the video is a close up of Allu Arjun marching as the Grand Marshal of the 2022 India Day parade in New York to celebrate India’s 75th Independence Day. Reverse image searches, Allu Arjun's official YouTube channel, the news coverage, and stock images websites are also proofs of this fact. Thus, it has been firmly established that the claim that Allu Arjun is in a Congress Party's campaign is fabricated and misleading
Claims:
The viral video alleges that the south actor Allu Arjun is using his popularity and star status as a way of campaigning for the Congress party during the 2024 upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Fact Check:
Initially, after hearing the news, we conducted a quick search using keywords to relate it to actor Allu Arjun joining the Congress Party but came across nothing related to this. However, we found a video by SoSouth posted on Feb 20, 2022, of Allu Arjun’s Father-in-law Kancharla Chandrasekhar Reddy joining congress and quitting former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's party.
Next, we segmented the video into keyframes, and then reverse searched one of the images which led us to the Federation of Indian Association website. It says that the picture is from the 2022 India Parade. The picture looks similar to the viral video, and we can compare the two to help us determine if they are from the same event.
Taking a cue from this, we again performed a keyword search using “India Day Parade 2022”. We found a video uploaded on the official Allu Arjun YouTube channel, and it’s the same video that has been shared on Social Media in recent times with different context. The caption of the original video reads, “Icon Star Allu Arjun as Grand Marshal @ 40th India Day Parade in New York | Highlights | #IndiaAt75”
The Reverse Image search results in some more evidence of the real fact, we found the image on Shutterstock, the description of the photo reads, “NYC India Day Parade, New York, NY, United States - 21 Aug 2022 Parade Grand Marshall Actor Allu Arjun is seen on a float during the annual Indian Day Parade on Madison Avenue in New York City on August 21, 2022.”
With this, we concluded that the Claim made in the viral video of Allu Arjun supporting the Lok Sabha Election campaign 2024 is baseless and false.
Conclusion:
The viral video circulating on social media has been put out of context. The clip, which depicts Allu Arjun's participation in the Indian Day parade in 2022, is not related to the ongoing election campaigns for any Political Party.
Hence, the assertion that Allu Arjun is campaigning for the Congress party is false and misleading.
- Claim: A video, which has gone viral, says that actor Allu Arjun is rallying for the Congress party.
- Claimed on: X (Formerly known as Twitter) and YouTube
- Fact Check: Fake & Misleading