Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is seeking damages of 100,000 euros (approximately Rs 90 lakh) after her deep fake pornographic movies were shared online. 

It comes with charges that two persons were involved with developing these pictures by putting Meloni's face onto another person's body and releasing them online. The accused was the 40-year-old man and his 73-year-old father, and they face defamation charges.

On July 2, 2024, the Prime Minister will make an appearance before a court in Sassari, Sardinia. Certain accusations of defamation in Italy may result in criminal prosecution and imprisonment. 

How did authorities track the accused?

The authorities were able to track down the criminals using the smartphone that they used to submit the footage. According to the story, the deep fake pictures have been uploaded to a US pornographic website and watched “millions of times” over several months.

Meloni's legal team showed that if her damages petition is allowed, she would donate the 100,000 euros to a charity that helps women who have been victims of assault by men. 

Emerging danger of deep fakes

Wipro's Global Chief Privacy & AI Governance Officer, Ivana Bartoletti, underlined the rising threat of deepfakes as generative AI use grows. As over 60 countries prepare for elections this year, she emphasized the need of being watchful in the face of this troubling tendency.

"Deepfakes have become widely available, posing a significant risk because these manipulations enable the creation and sharing of realistic audio and video content showing people saying and doing things they never said or did." The ramifications go beyond the digital sphere, as online deception and collaboration may lead to real-world violence, she warned. 

Deep Fakes: Good and Bad

Deepfakes, the technology that lets you realistically alter video and audio content, are a double-edged sword. They have the potential to be incredibly beneficial, but also carry significant risks.  Let's explore both sides:

The Good:

Deep Fakes may be used to produce amusing parodies, special effects, and even bring historical personalities back to life in unexpected ways. Consider studying history through a deep-fake movie of a historical event recounted by those who experienced it! 

Deepfakes have the ability to make learning more dynamic and interesting. Deep Fakes may be used to make accurate dubs of foreign language films, allowing them to reach a larger audience.

The Bad:

Deep Fakes may be used to generate fake news videos that propagate disinformation and cause conflict. Imagine a politician making a deep expression while saying something controversial; it may have a significant influence on an election.

Malicious actors might utilize deep fakes to make incriminating films of people, inflicting emotional discomfort and harming their reputations. The widespread usage of deepfakes may destroy confidence in the media and social media as people grow unclear of what's genuine and what's not.

Prevention Strategies

Deepfake detection systems are being created to detect altered information. Media literacy is being cautious of what you see online and verifying information using reliable sources.

Strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and minimal online sharing of personal data make it more difficult to generate deep fakes of yourself. Spreading the word about deepfakes and how they function will help people be more cautious online.

Italy PM Giorgia Meloni in Highlights

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who began a two-day visit to India to strengthen bilateral relations ahead of the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting in New Delhi on March 2, 2023.

Mr. Modi welcomed Italy's participation in the Indo-Pacific, saying, "It is with great satisfaction that Italy has agreed to join the Indo-Pacific Ocean Project. This will allow us to identify specific themes for strengthening Indo-Pacific cooperation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Meloni will address bilateral, regional, and global concerns. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will also contact Italy's prime minister.

The comprehensive bilateral partnership is built on shared cultural values, a commitment to economic growth, collaboration in green energy, science and technology, and defense, as well as convergence on regional and global challenges, according to an External Affairs Ministry statement.

Putting my own thoughts

Deep Fakes represent a substantial danger to global stability, particularly among international leaders. A fake video of Joe Biden or Vladimir Putin in an accident may have disastrous effects.

Imagine the outcry and probable reprisal if a deep fake depicted one leader assaulting another. This might exacerbate tensions and raise the possibility of real-world war.

Deep Fakes may be used to influence financial markets. A bogus film alleging a leader's health deterioration might provoke a stock market catastrophe. Deepfakes depicting a leader's incapacity or malfeasance may cause civil discontent and bloodshed in their own country.

Deepfakes may produce extremely lifelike movies or audio recordings of individuals saying or doing things they never did. This makes it tough to tell what's genuine and what's not, undermining faith in everything seen or heard online.

If individuals can't believe what they see online, they'll cease trusting whatever they read in the media or see on social media. This makes it more difficult for credible news organizations to get their message out.