#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
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Introduction
An age of unprecedented problems has been brought about by the constantly changing technological world, and misuse of deepfake technology has become a reason for concern which has also been discussed by the Indian Judiciary. Supreme Court has expressed concerns about the consequences of this quickly developing technology, citing a variety of issues from security hazards to privacy violations to the spread of disinformation. In general, misuse of deepfake technology is particularly dangerous since it may fool even the sharpest eye because they are almost identical to the actual thing.
SC judge expressed Concerns: A Complex Issue
During a recent speech, Supreme Court Justice Hima Kohli emphasized the various issues that deepfakes present. She conveyed grave concerns about the possibility of invasions of privacy, the dissemination of false information, and the emergence of security threats. The ability of deepfakes to be created so convincingly that they seem to come from reliable sources is especially concerning as it increases the potential harm that may be done by misleading information.
Gender-Based Harassment Enhanced
In this internet era, there is a concerning chance that harassment based on gender will become more severe, as Justice Kohli noted. She pointed out that internet platforms may develop into epicentres for the quick spread of false information by anonymous offenders who act worrisomely and freely. The fact that virtual harassment is invisible may make it difficult to lessen the negative effects of toxic online postings. In response, It is advocated that we can develop a comprehensive policy framework that modifies current legal frameworks—such as laws prohibiting sexual harassment online —to adequately handle the issues brought on by technology breakthroughs.
Judicial Stance on Regulating Deepfake Content
In a different move, the Delhi High Court voiced concerns about the misuse of deepfake and exercised judicial intervention to limit the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated deepfake content. The intricacy of the matter was highlighted by a division bench. The bench proposed that the government, with its wider outlook, could be more qualified to handle the situation and come up with a fair resolution. This position highlights the necessity for an all-encompassing strategy by reflecting the court's acknowledgement of the technology's global and borderless character.
PIL on Deepfake
In light of these worries, an Advocate from Delhi has taken it upon himself to address the unchecked use of AI, with a particular emphasis on deepfake material. In the event that regulatory measures are not taken, his Public Interest Litigation (PIL), which is filed at the Delhi High Court, emphasises the necessity of either strict limits on AI or an outright prohibition. The necessity to discern between real and fake information is at the center of this case. Advocate suggests using distinguishable indicators, such as watermarks, to identify AI-generated work, reiterating the demand for openness and responsibility in the digital sphere.
The Way Ahead:
Finding a Balance
- The authorities must strike a careful balance between protecting privacy, promoting innovation, and safeguarding individual rights as they negotiate the complex world of deepfakes. The Delhi High Court's cautious stance and Justice Kohli's concerns highlight the necessity for a nuanced response that takes into account the complexity of deepfake technology.
- Because of the increased complexity with which the information may be manipulated in this digital era, the court plays a critical role in preserving the integrity of the truth and shielding people from the possible dangers of misleading technology. The legal actions will surely influence how the Indian judiciary and legislature respond to deepfakes and establish guidelines for the regulation of AI in the nation. The legal environment needs to change as technology does in order to allow innovation and accountability to live together.
Collaborative Frameworks:
- Misuse of deepfake technology poses an international problem that cuts beyond national boundaries. International collaborative frameworks might make it easier to share technical innovations, legal insights, and best practices. A coordinated response to this digital threat may be ensured by starting a worldwide conversation on deepfake regulation.
Legislative Flexibility:
- Given the speed at which technology is advancing, the legislative system must continue to adapt. It will be required to introduce new legislation expressly addressing developing technology and to regularly evaluate and update current laws. This guarantees that the judicial system can adapt to the changing difficulties brought forth by the misuse of deepfakes.
AI Development Ethics:
- Promoting moral behaviour in AI development is crucial. Tech businesses should abide by moral or ethical standards that place a premium on user privacy, responsibility, and openness. As a preventive strategy, ethical AI practices can lessen the possibility that AI technology will be misused for malevolent purposes.
Government-Industry Cooperation:
- It is essential that the public and commercial sectors work closely together. Governments and IT corporations should collaborate to develop and implement legislation. A thorough and equitable approach to the regulation of deepfakes may be ensured by establishing regulatory organizations with representation from both sectors.
Conclusion
A comprehensive strategy integrating technical, legal, and social interventions is necessary to navigate the path ahead. Governments, IT corporations, the courts, and the general public must all actively participate in the collective effort to combat the misuse of deepfakes, which goes beyond only legal measures. We can create a future where the digital ecosystem is safe and inventive by encouraging a shared commitment to tackling the issues raised by deepfakes. The Government is on its way to come up with dedicated legislation to tackle the issue of deepfakes. Followed by the recently issued government advisory on misinformation and deepfake.
References:
Introduction
In India, the population of girls and adolescents is 253 million, as per the UNICEF report, and the sex ratio at birth is 929 per 1000 male children as of 2023. Cyberspace has massively influenced the daily aspects of our lives, and hence the safety aspect of cyberspace cannot be ignored any more. The social media platforms play a massive role in information dissemination and sharing. The data trail created by the use of such platforms is often used by cyber criminals to target innocent girls and children.
On Ground Stats
Of the six million crimes police in India recorded between 1 January and 31 December last year, 428,278 cases involved crimes against women. It’s a rise of 26.35% over six years – from 338,954 cases in 2016. A majority of the cases in 2021, the report said, were of kidnappings and abduction, rapes, domestic violence, dowry deaths and assaults. Also, 107 women were attacked with acid, 1,580 women were trafficked, 15 girls were sold, and 2,668 were victims of cybercrimes. With more than 56,000 cases, the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, which is India’s most populous with 240 million people, once again topped the list. Rajasthan followed it with 40,738 cases and Maharashtra with 39,526 cases. This shows the root of the problem and how deep this menace goes in our society. With various campaigns and initiatives by Government and the CSO, awareness is on the rise, but still, we need a robust prevention mechanism to address this issue critically.
Influence of Social Media Platforms
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter were created to bring people closer by eliminating geographical boundaries, which is strengthened by the massive internet connectivity network across the globe. Throughout 2022, on average, there are about 470.1 million active social media users in India on a monthly basis, with an annual growth rate of 4.2 % in 2021-22. This represents about 33.4 % of the total population. These social media users, on average, spend about 2.6 hours on social media, and each, on average, has accounts on 8.6 platforms.
The bad actors have also upskilled themselves and are now using these social platforms to commit cybercrimes. Some of these crimes against girls and women include – Impersonation, Identity theft, Cyberstalking, Cyber-Enabled human trafficking and many more. These crimes are on the rise post-pandemic, and instances of people using fake IDs to lure young girls into their traps are being reported daily. One such instance is when Imran Mansoori created an Instagram account in the name of Rahul Gujjar, username: rahul_gujjar_9010. Using social engineering and scoping out the vulnerabilities, he trapped a minor girl in a relationship & took her to a hotel in Moradabad. The hotel manager raised the suspicion of seeing a different ID & called the Police, Imran was then arrested. But many such crimes go unreported, and it is essential for all stakeholders to create a safeguard regarding girls’ and women’s safety.
Legal Remedies at our disposal
The Indian Legal system has been evolving with time towards the online safety of girls and women. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the National Commission for Women (NCW) have worked tirelessly to safeguard girls and women to create a wholesome, safe, secure environment. The Information Technology Act governs cyberspace and its associated rights and duties. The following provisions of the IT Act are focused towards safeguarding the rights –
- Violation of privacy – Section 66E
- Obscene material – Section 67
- Pornography & sexually explicit act – Section 67A
- Child pornography – Section 67B
- Intermediaries due diligence rules – Section 79
Apart from these provisions, acts like POCSO, IPC, and CrPC, draft the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, Intermediary Guidelines on Social Media and Online Gaming and telecommunications bill.
Conclusion
The likelihood of becoming a victim of cybercrime is always growing due to increased traffic in the virtual world, which is especially true for women who are frequently viewed as easy targets. The types of cyber crimes that target women have grown, and the trend has not stopped in India. Cyber flaming, cyber eve-teasing, cyber flirting, and internet cheating are some new-generation crimes that are worth mentioning here. In India, women tend to be reluctant to speak up about issues out of concern that doing so might damage their reputations permanently. Without being fully aware of the dangers of the internet, women grow more susceptible the more time they spend online. Women should be more alert to protect themselves from targeted online attacks.
About Customs Scam:
The Customs Scam is a type of fraud where the scammers pretend to be from the renowned courier office company (DTDC, etc.), or customs department or other government entities. They try to deceive the targets to transfer the money to resolve the fake customs related concerns. The Research Wing at CyberPeace along with the Research Wing of Autobot Infosec Private Ltd. delved into this case through Open Source Intelligence methods and undercover interactions with the scammers and concluded with some credible information.
Case Study:
The victim receives a phone call posing as a renowned courier office (DTDC, etc.) employee (in some case custom’s officer) that a parcel in the name of the victim has been taken into custody because of inappropriate content. The scammer provides the victim an employee ID, FIR number to prove the authenticity of the case and also they show empathy towards the victim. The scammer pretends to help the victim to connect with a police officer for further action. This so-called police officer shows transparency in his work. He asks him to join a skype video call and he even provides time to install the skype app. He instructs the victim to connect with the skype id provided by the fake police officer where the scammer created a fake police station environment. He also claims that he contacted the headquarters and the victim’s phone number is associated with many illegal activities to create panic to the victim. Then the scammers also ask the victim to give their personal details such as home address, office address, aadhar card number, PAN card number and screenshot of their bank accounts along with their available account balance for the sake of so-called investigation. Sometimes scammers also demand a high amount of money to resolve the issue and create fake urgency to trap the victim in making the payment. He sternly warns the victim not to contact any other police officials or professionals, making it clear that doing so would only lead to more trouble.
Analysis & Findings:
After receiving these kinds of complaints from multiple sources, the analysis was done on the collection of phone numbers from where the calls originated. These phone numbers were analysed for alias name, location, Telecom operator, etc. Further, we have verified the number to check whether the number is linked with any social media account on reputed platforms like Google, Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, and other classified platforms such as Locanto.
- Phone Number Analysis: Each phone number looks authentic, cleverly concealing the fraud. Sometimes scammers use virtual/temporary phone numbers for these kinds of scams. In this case the victim was from Delhi, so the scammer posed themselves from Delhi Police station, while the phone numbers belong to a different place.
- Undercover Interactions: The interactions with the suspects reveals their chilling way of modus operandi. These scammers are masters of psychological manipulation. They threaten the victims and act as if they are genuine LEA officers.
- Exploitation Tactics: They target unsuspecting individuals and create fear and fake urgency among the targets to extract sensitive information such as Aadhaar, PAN card and bank account details.
- Fraud Execution: The scammers demand for the payment to resolve this issue and they make use of the stolen personally identifiable information. Once the victims transfer the money, the fraudsters cut off all the communication.
- Outcome for Victims: The scammers act so genuine and they frame the incidents so realistic, victims don't realise that they are trapped in this scam. They suffer severe financial loss and psychological trauma.
Recommendations:
- Verify Identities: It is important to verify the identity of any individual, especially if they demand personal information or payment. Contact the official agency directly using verified contact details to confirm the authenticity of the communication.
- Education on Personal Information: Provide education to people to protect their personal identity numbers like Aadhaar and PAN card number. Always emphasise the possible dangers connected to sharing such data in the course of phone conversations.
- Report Suspicious Activity: Prompt reporting of suspicious phone calls or messages to relevant authorities and consumer protection agencies helps in tracking down scammers and prevents people from falling. Report to https://cybercrime.gov.in or reach out to helpline@cyberpeace.net for further assistance.
- Enhanced Cybersecurity Measures: Implement robust cybersecurity measures to detect and mitigate phishing attempts and fraudulent activities. This includes monitoring and blocking suspicious phone numbers and IP addresses associated with scams.
Conclusion:
In the Customs Scam fraud, the scammers pretend to be a custom or any government official and sometimes threaten the targets to get the details such as Aadhaar, PAN card details, screenshot of their bank accounts along with their available balance in their account. The phone numbers used for these kinds of scams were analysed for any suspicious activity. It is found that all the phone numbers look authentic concealing the fraudentent activities. The interactions made with them reveals that they create fearness and urgency between the individuals. They act as if they are genuine officer’s and ask for money to resolve this issue. It is important to stay vigilant and not to share any personal or financial information. When facing these kinds of scams, report and spread awareness among individuals.
