A new deepfake video of Krissy Barrett, the Australian Federal Police Commissioner, has raised serious alarms. In its opening seconds, the video misleadingly accuses that four Indian nationals have been arrested. Video released shortly after the December 18 press conference, the video was posted online. Fact-checkers soon flagged it for its highly misleading content and outright manipulation.
That misleading deepfake was produced from actual video of Barrett’s press conference on December 18. Throughout the event, Barrett addressed many of the important challenges to public safety and law enforcement. He declined to comment specifically on the arrest of any Indian nationals. The video went viral and within a few days had reached hundreds of thousands of views. Its perniciousness was later realized.
The good news is that online fact-checkers responded almost immediately after catching a glimpse of the video, which had a distinctive watermark from The Guardian. This fact would seem, at first glance, to give the video credibility, convincing thousands of viewers to accept its assertions as gospel truth without batting an eye. Once again, we see how misinformation can flood our social media channels. This trend is yet another testament to the dangers of deepfake technology, particularly in an age when digital content can be widely altered and distorted.
Krissy Barrett takes on the role of Australian Federal Police Commissioner. In this role, she’s on the frontlines of identifying and mitigating misinformation and restoring the public trust in law enforcement. This incident further emphasizes the urgent need to provide awareness and education on deepfakes and their increased ability to mislead the public.
In a release after the incident transpired, Barrett stressed the need to fact-check information before posting or retweeting it on social media. As she explained, these types of misleading acts can lead to life or death consequences for people and neighborhoods. The Australian Federal Police is reportedly examining strategies to counteract the spread of deepfakes and improve public understanding of digital misinformation.