In the past, we have gone over the basics about deepfake images. But what about when it comes to video or audio?
For an example, you can click on the image above to see a deepfake video in YouTube which appears to show David Beckham speaking nine languages fluently. (This link and video are safe, don’t worry. Sometimes deepfake videos can be used for good, too.)
When you see a startling or questionable video, start by doing a quick reality check. Is the voice or video trying to strong-arm you into taking a sketchy action, like wiring money to someone? Does it seem overly political in one way or another, designed to rile you up? And if it’s supposedly your bestie begging for cash, take a deep breath and reach out to the person through a verified channel before responding. Remember, genuine messages don’t usually require panic-driven replies.
Take a deeper look at the content. Here are some things to watch out for.
The lighting: Is it too vivid? Is it coming from the right direction? Are parts of the video brighter than they should be?
The body: Are the eyes reflecting the same thing or something different? Are there extra fingers on hands, or a few missing toes? When someone turns or moves their body, does it respond too quickly? Does it look distorted? How about the eyes? Are they moving naturally?
(If the “person” is live on video you can ask them to turn their head 90 degrees or wave their hand in front of their face. Both can easily show the video/person is a fake.)
Words: Most words that show up in fake images and videos are nonsense.
The background: Are there odd items? Is there suspicious symmetry? Do you see anything else that seems abnormal?
Microsoft has developed new technology to help sort out whether a video or image is a deep fake. Click above for more information and some really cool insight into sleuthing deepfakes.
Keeping these in mind you can be an internet detective and keep yourself from falling victim to fake videos!
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