Advertisements featuring a deeply fictionalized resemblance to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have appeared on Facebook, sparking fears of future scams or threats as a possible election approaches.
Some ads show the Prime Minister announcing government investments in a new stock market app launched by Elon Musk.
The ads then link to a fake BBC News page promoting investment opportunities in this new app – and of course it’s a scam.
2024, the year of deep fake?
Recent research Research from Fenimore Harper found that in a one-month period between December 8, 2023 and January 8, 2024, funding to promote these ads on Facebook was $16,500.
The source of funding for the advertisements came from countries such as Turkey, Malaysia, the Philippines and the United States.
The research found that 143 different adverts using Rishi Sunak’s deep fake likeness were shown to more than 400,000 people on Facebook. Fortunately, of these 400,000 ads were shown to “less than 0.5 percent of UK users,” a spokesperson told The guard.
While it appears the main incentive for these ads was monetary gain, Prime Minister Sunak is expected to call a general election this year. That means you can expect many more “deep fakes” from major political figures spreading disinformation in attempts by hacktivists and state-sponsored groups to influence voting behavior and the overall outcome of the election.
You might also expect to see a gradual increase in deepfakes and other disinformation/disinformation in the run-up to the US presidential election, as Russia and China try to sow division and distrust between Democrats and Republicans.
Through Engadget