New Delhi: Industrialist and former chairman of the Tata Group, Ratan Tata, has called out a deepfake video on Instagram where he appears to be providing investment advice. The fake video, posted by an Instagram user named Sona Agarwal, falsely portrayed the industrialist offering investment guidance. The accompanying caption on the post misleadingly promised users an opportunity to amplify their investments ‘risk-free.’
The fraudulent Instagram post showed a deepfake interview with Ratan Tata, where he mistakenly referred to Agarwal as his manager. The caption accompanying Agarwal’s Instagram post read, “A recommendation from Ratan Tata for everyone in India. This is your chance to exaggerate your investment right today risk-free with a 100% guarantee,” as mentioned in the video post. “Go to the channel right now.”
Recent instances of deepfake videos featuring celebrities have circulated widely on social media, eliciting reactions of shock, horror, and concern from netizens. The most recent target of deepfakes was actress Priyanka Chopra, who appeared in another deceptive video endorsing a brand and disclosing her annual income.
Priyanka’s involvement in controversial videos sets her apart from other actors, as her facial features remain unaltered. However, the manipulated videos replace her voice and original lines with a fake advertisement for a fake brand.
In a similar incident, Alia Bhatt was featured in a misleading deepfake video, later proven to be false. The viral video depicts Alia’s face imposed on another woman sitting on a bed, dressed in a blue floral, strappy outfit, gesturing toward the camera.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar met social media platforms on Tuesday to evaluate their efforts in tackling misinformation and deepfakes. He added that advisories would be issued within the next two days to ensure full compliance by these platforms.