#FactCheck - AI Generated image of Virat Kohli falsely claims to be sand art of a child
Executive Summary:
The picture of a boy making sand art of Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli spreading in social media, claims to be false. The picture which was portrayed, revealed not to be a real sand art. The analyses using AI technology like 'Hive' and ‘Content at scale AI detection’ confirms that the images are entirely generated by artificial intelligence. The netizens are sharing these pictures in social media without knowing that it is computer generated by deep fake techniques.
Claims:
The collage of beautiful pictures displays a young boy creating sand art of Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli.
Fact Check:
When we checked on the posts, we found some anomalies in each photo. Those anomalies are common in AI-generated images.
The anomalies such as the abnormal shape of the child’s feet, blended logo with sand color in the second image, and the wrong spelling ‘spoot’ instead of ‘sport’n were seen in the picture. The cricket bat is straight which in the case of sand made portrait it’s odd. In the left hand of the child, there’s a tattoo imprinted while in other photos the child's left hand has no tattoo. Additionally, the face of the boy in the second image does not match the face in other images. These made us more suspicious of the images being a synthetic media.
We then checked on an AI-generated image detection tool named, ‘Hive’. Hive was found to be 99.99% AI-generated. We then checked from another detection tool named, “Content at scale”
Hence, we conclude that the viral collage of images is AI-generated but not sand art of any child. The Claim made is false and misleading.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the claim that the pictures showing a sand art image of Indian cricket star Virat Kohli made by a child is false. Using an AI technology detection tool and analyzing the photos, it appears that they were probably created by an AI image-generated tool rather than by a real sand artist. Therefore, the images do not accurately represent the alleged claim and creator.
Claim: A young boy has created sand art of Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli
Claimed on: X, Facebook, Instagram
Fact Check: Fake & Misleading
Related Blogs
.webp)
Executive Summary:
In the end of January 2024, India sees an inauguration of Ram Mandir that is a historical event to which people came culturally and spiritually. All communities in the world acknowledge this point of life as a victory and also understand how it unites people. In the midst of this genuine joy over success, there has been a disconcerting increase in malpractices designed to exploit people’s enthusiasm. This report aims at providing awareness and guidelines on how one can avoid the fraud activities that could be circulating as a celebration of Ram Mandir inauguration. An example cited here is on scams that give fake free recharge to users making them connect with the Prime Minister of India and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
False Claim:
According to the message passed in WhatsApp, as a commemoration of the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya in January 2024, free Rs.749 mobile recharge for three months would be offered to all Indians across India by both the PM and UP CM. The message prompts the recipients to click on the blue link provided and then recharge their numbers.
The Deceptive Scheme:
We have been informed of a circulating link (https://mahacashhback[.]in/#1705296887543) stating that it offers ₹719 recharge in honor of the Ram Mandir inauguration. It is worth mentioning that this link does not belong to any legitimate movement concerning the inauguration; public excitement and trust were used for personal gain.
Analyzing the Fraudulent Campaign:
- Exploiting Emotional Significance:Scammers are using the cultural and religious significance of Ram mandir inauguration as a cover to fool people into participating in its fraudulent scheme.
- Fake Recharge Offers:The broadcasted link is offering a recharge pretending that they celebrate it’s inauguration. Such offers should be handled with care and established through authorized avenues.
- Bogus Landing Pages and Comments:The landing page linked to the link typically shows images of Ram Mandir and fake comments succeeding in a make-believe appearance. Legitimate projects linked to major events rely on official and trustworthy communication mechanisms.
- Data Collection Attempts:However, users may be asked for personal details like mobile numbers under the false pretext of winning a fake recharge. Legitimate organizations practice secure protocols for data collection and communication.
- Sharing for Activation:After the data entry, users are prompted to share a link in other people’s posts; it is said that this will help “activate” recharge. This is a popular trick among swindlers to keep the fraud going on due to sending misleading messages.
What do we Analyze?
- It is important to note that at this particular point, there has not been any official declaration or a proper confirmation of such offers on any official channel.
- The campaign is hosted on a third party domain instead of any official Government Website, this raised suspicion. Also the domain has been registered in very recent times.
- Domain Name: mahacashhback[.]in
- Registry Domain ID: D1FCF1B5751244310A2FA723B62CE83E9-IN
- Registrar URL: https://publicdomainregistry[.]com/
- Registrar: Endurance Digital Domain Technology LLP
- Registrar IANA ID: 801217
- Updated Date: 2024-01-18T08:09:00Z
- Creation Date: 2023-05-27T12:01:17Z
- Registry Expiry Date: 2024-05-27T12:01:17Z
- Registrant Organization: Sachin Kumar
- Registrant State/Province: Bihar
- Name Server: ns2.suspended-domain[.]com
- Name Server: ns1.suspended-domain[.]com
CyberPeace Advisory and Best Practices:
- Verify Authenticity:Authenticate any offers or promotions linked to the Ram Mandir inauguration through official channels.
- Exercise Caution with Links:Do not engage with questionable URLs, in particular those without secure encryption (HTTPS). Official announcements and initiatives are disseminated through secure outlets.
- Protect Personal Information:Do not provide personal information and do not respond to unsolicited offers on nonofficial platforms. Genuine organizations employ safe and official routes for communication.
- Report Fraudulent Activity:When you see scams or fraudulent activities, immediately report them to authorities and platforms so that no one falls into their trap.
Conclusion:
In the coming days, let us be cautious from such cheating strategies which would be misutilized or create false situations. Individuals should stay informed, verify sources and defend their personal information to ensure a safer world wide web. Official and secure channels are used to communicate authentic initiatives linked with notable events. When an offer sounds too favorable or attractive, exercise due caution and check its genuineness to avoid being defrauded. Thus by undertaking the research we found this campaign to be fake.
Introduction
The Data Protection Data Privacy Act 2023 is the most essential step towards protecting, prioritising, and promoting the users’ privacy and data protection. The Act is designed to prioritize user consent in data processing while assuring uninterrupted services like online shopping, intermediaries, etc. The Act specifies that once a user provides consent to the following intermediary platforms, the platforms can process the data until the user withdraws the rights of it. This policy assures that the user has the entire control over their data and is accountable for its usage.
A keen Outlook
The Following Act also provides highlights for user-specific purpose, which is limited to data processing. This step prevents the misuse of data and also ensures that the processed data is being for the purpose for which it was obtained at the initial stage from the user.
- Data Fudiary and Processing of Online Shopping Platforms: The Act Emphasises More on Users’ Consent. Once provided, the Data Fudiary can constantly process the data until it is specifically withdrawn by the Data Principal.
- Detailed Analysis
- Consent as a Foundation: The Act places the user's consent as a backbone to the data processing. It sets clear boundaries for data processing. It can be Collecting, Processing, and Storing, and must comply with users’ consent before being used.
- Uninterrupted Data processing: With the given user consent, the intermediaries are not time-restrained. As long as the user does not obligate their consent, the process will be ongoing.
- Consent and Order Fulfillment: Consent, once provided, encloses all the activities related to the specific purpose for which it was meant to the data it was given for subsequent actions such as order fulfilment.
- Detailed Analysis
- Purpose-Limited Consent: The consent given is purpose-limited. The platform cannot misuse the obtained data for its personal use.
- Seamless User Experience: By ensuring that the user consent covers the full transactions, spared from the unwanted annoyance of repeated consent requests from the actual ongoing activities.
- Data Retention and Rub Out on Online Platforms: Platforms must ensure data minimisation post its utilisation period. This extends to any kind of third-party processors they might take on.
- Detailed Analysis
- Minimization and Security Assurance: By compulsory data removal on post ultization,This step helps to reduce the volume of data platforms hold, which leads to minimizing the risk to data.
- Third-Party Accountability, User Privacy Protection.
Influence from Global frameworks
The impactful changes based on global trends and similar legislation( European Union’s GDPR) here are some fruitful changes in intermediaries and social media platforms experienced after the implementation of the DPDP Act 2023.
- Solidified Consent Mechanism: Platforms and intermediatries need to ensure the users’ consent is categorically given, and informed, and should be specific to which the data is obtained. This step may lead to user-friendly consent forms activities and prompts.
- Data Minimizations: Platforms that tend to need to collect the only data necessary for the specific purpose mentioned and not retain information beyond its utility.
- Transparency and Accountability: Data collecting Platforms need to ensure transparency in data collecting, data processing, and sharing practices. This involves more detailed policy and regular audits.
- Data Portability: Users have the right to request for a copy of their own data used in format, allowing them to switch platforms effectively.
- Right to Obligation: Users can have the request right to deletion of their data, also referred to as the “Right to be forgotten”.
- Prescribed Reporting: Under circumstances of data breaches, intermediary platforms are required to report the issues and instability to the regulatory authorities within a specific timeline.
- Data Protection Authorities: Due to the increase in data breaches, Large platforms indeed appoint data protection officers, which are responsible for the right compliance with data protection guidelines.
- Disciplined Policies: Non-compliance might lead to a huge amount of fines, making it indispensable to invest in data protection measures.
- Third-Party Audits: Intermediaries have to undergo security audits by external auditors to ensure they are meeting the expeditions of the following compliances.
- Third-Party Information Sharing Restrictions: Sharing personal information and users’ data with third parties (such as advertisers) come with more detailed and disciplined guideline and user consent.
Conclusion
The Data Protection Data Privacy Act 2023 prioritises user consent, ensuring uninterrupted services and purpose-limited data processing. It aims to prevent data misuse, emphasising seamless user experiences and data minimisation. Drawing inspiration from global frameworks like the EU's GDPR, it introduces solidified consent mechanisms, transparency, and accountability. Users gain rights such as data portability and data deletion requests. Non-compliance results in significant fines. This legislation sets a new standard for user privacy and data protection, empowering users and holding platforms accountable. In an evolving digital landscape, it plays a crucial role in ensuring data security and responsible data handling.
References:
- https://www.meity.gov.in/writereaddata/files/Digital%20Personal%20Data%20Protection%20Act%202023.pdf
- https://www.mondaq.com/india/privacy-protection/1355068/data-protection-law-in-india-analysis-of-dpdp-act-2023-for-businesses--part-i
- https://www.hindustantimes.com/technology/explained-indias-new-digital-personal-data-protection-framework-101691912775654.html
.webp)
Introduction
Pagers were commonly utilized in the late 1990s and early 2000s, especially in fields that needed fast, reliable communication and swift alerts and information sharing. Pagers typically offer a broader coverage range, particularly in remote areas with limited cellular signals, which enhances their dependability. They are simple electronic devices with minimal features, making them easy to use and less prone to technical issues. The decline in their use has been caused by the rise of mobile phones and their extensive features, offering more advanced communication options like voice calls, text messages, and internet access. Despite this, pagers are still used in some specific industries.
A shocking incident occurred on 17th September 2014, where thousands of pager devices exploded within seconds across Lebanon in a synchronized attack, targeting the US-designated terror group Hezbollah. The explosions killed at least 9 and injured over 2,800 individuals in the country that has been caught up in the Israel-Palestine tensions in its backyard.
The Pager Bombs Incident
On Tuesday, 17th September 2024, hundreds of pagers carried by Hezbollah members in Lebanon exploded in an unprecedented attack, surpassing a series of covert assassinations and cyber-attacks in the region over recent years. The Iran-backed militant group claimed the wireless devices began to explode around 3:30 p.m., local time, in a targeted attack on Hezbollah operatives. The pagers that exploded were new and had been purchased by Hezbollah in recent months. Experts say the explosions underscore Hezbollah's vulnerability as its communication network was compromised to deadly effect. Several areas of the country were affected, particularly Beirut's southern suburbs, a populous area that is a known Hezbollah stronghold. At least 9 people were killed, including a child, and about 2,800 people were wounded, overwhelming Lebanese hospitals.
Second Wave of Attack
As per the most recent reports, the next day, following the pager bombing incident, a second wave of blasts hit Beirut and multiple parts of Lebanon. Certain wireless devices such as walkie-talkies, solar equipment, and car batteries exploded, resulting in at least 9 people killed and 300 injured, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. The attack is said to have embarrassed Hezbollah, incapacitated many of its members, and raised fears about a greater escalation of hostilities between the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group and Israel.
A New Kind of Threat - ‘Cyber-Physical’ Attacks
The incident raises serious concerns about physical tampering with daily-use electronic devices and the possibility of triggering a new age of warfare. This highlights the serious physical threat posed, wherein even devices such as smartwatches, earbuds, and pacemakers could be vulnerable to physical tampering if an attacker gains physical access to them. We are potentially looking at a new age of ‘cyber-physical’ threats where the boundaries between the digital and the physical are blurring rapidly. It raises questions about unauthorised access and manipulation targeting the physical security of such electronic devices. There is a cause for concern regarding the global supply chain across sectors, if even seemingly-innocuous devices can be weaponised to such devastating effect. Such kinds of attacks are capable of causing significant disruption and casualties, as demonstrated by pager bombings in Lebanon, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries. It also raises questions on the regulatory mechanism and oversights checks at every stage of the electronic device lifecycle, from component manufacturing to the final assembly and shipment or supply. This is a grave issue because embedding explosives and doing malicious modifications by adversaries can turn such electronic devices into weapons.
CyberPeace Outlook
The pager bombing attack demonstrates a new era of threats in warfare tactics, revealing the advanced coordination and technical capabilities of adversaries where they have weaponised the daily use of electronic devices. They have targeted the hardware security of electronic devices, presenting a serious new threat to hardware security. The threat is grave, and has understandably raised widespread apprehension globally. Such kind of gross weaponisation of daily-use devices, specially in the conflict context, also triggers concerns about the violation of International Humanitarian Law principles. It also raises serious questions on the liabilities of companies, suppliers and manufacturers of such devices, who are subject to regulatory checks and ensuring the authenticity of their products.
The incident highlights the need for a more robust regulatory landscape, with stricter supply chain regulations as we adjust to the realities of a possible new era of weaponisation and conflict expression. CyberPeace recommends the incorporation of stringent tracking and vetting processes in product supply chains, along with the strengthening of international cooperation mechanisms to ensure compliance with protocols regarding the responsible use of technology. These will go a long way towards establishing peace in the global cyberspace and restore trust and safety with regards to everyday technologies.
References:
1. https://indianexpress.com/article/what-is/what-is-a-pager-9573113/
5. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/18/hezbollah-pager-explosion-lebanon-israel-gold-apollo
