A woman whose image was used in a deepfake video featuring Bollywood actress Rashmika Mandanna has expressed her distress and concern over the incident. Zara Patel, a British-Indian influencer, took to her official Instagram account to address the issue. She stated that she had no involvement in the creation of the deepfake video and expressed her deep disturbance and upset over the situation. Patel also expressed her worry about the future of women and girls who now have to be even more cautious about sharing their presence on social media platforms. She urged people to fact-check what they see on the internet and highlighted that not everything online is real.
The deepfake video in question went viral recently and appeared to show Rashmika Mandanna entering an elevator. However, the woman in the video was actually Zara Patel, and the video was created using deepfake technology.
Rashmika Mandanna herself spoke out against the deepfake video and described it as “extremely scary.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the actress shared her hurt and emphasized the need to address such misuse of technology. She expressed gratitude for her family, friends, and well-wishers who provide her with protection and support, but also acknowledged the potential harm faced by vulnerable individuals due to identity theft. Mandanna called for a collective effort to address the issue before more people are affected.
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar also commented on the viral deepfake video, reminding social media platforms of their legal obligations to combat misinformation. He posted on X, affirming the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and trust of all internet users. Chandrasekhar highlighted that under the IT rules introduced in April 2023, platforms have a legal obligation to prevent the posting of misinformation and remove it when reported by users or the government. He also emphasized that failure to comply with these rules could result in legal action against platforms under the Indian Penal Code.
The issue of deepfakes is a growing concern, as they represent a particularly dangerous and damaging form of misinformation. It is crucial for platforms to take action to address this issue and protect their users.
