A deepfake video replaces a person’s image so that they resemble someone else. It can make it seem like the person in the video said or acted like the original person when they actually did not say or do those things. This technique has been used in Hollywood to make deceased actors appear alive or make older actors seem youthful. Anyone with internet access and a computer can easily edit videos.
Digital forensics uses two approaches to identify deepfakes: passive and active. A passive approach may consist of looking for things an average person could miss, such as consistent lighting. An active approach may include looking for watermarks at the time the person captured the video. The Truepic company applies an active approach in identifying deepfakes by creating a unique digital fingerprint from image sensors, which the company cannot hack. This method isn’t 100% accurate, but it can assist with authentication.
The Liar’s Dividend is an often overlooked technique, which helps a defendant deny the truth in many ways. This means that the accused can cast doubt over a jury by presenting an altered video, or the plaintiff can present an altered video trying pin something on another person. The lack of forensic deepfake experts only adds to the problem.
People facing criminal charges in domestic situations can be made to look guilty with a deepfake when they are not. It takes a criminal defense attorney with knowledge of deepfakes to identify tampering and prove innocence.