Deepfake Investigation: Delhi Police Identify Uploaders, Seek Main Culprits Targeting Actress Rashmika Mandanna

Delhi Police have made progress in tracking down the culprits behind a deepfake video featuring popular actress Rashmika Mandanna. The investigation has revealed that four suspects were involved in uploading the video online. While three of them have been identified with the help of Meta, the company that owns social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, the main conspirator remains at large.

The pursuit by #DelhiPolice to apprehend the mastermind behind the creation of deepfake profiles featuring actor #RashmikaMandana is still going on. Despite tracking down four suspects, it has been revealed that they were merely uploaders and not the actual creators of the… pic.twitter.com/Basiuv3XP3

— IANS (@ians_india) December 20, 2023

The suspects, initially thought to be creators of the deepfake, turned out to be uploaders. The investigation faced hurdles as the accused removed and deleted information from their accounts, complicating the authorities' efforts to locate them. Cyber experts from the Delhi Police are actively searching for the key conspirator behind the illicit post.

The deepfake videos featuring Rashmika Mandanna were likely uploaded using a fake identity, and the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) has added complexity to the task of tracking down the perpetrator. The anonymity provided by such tools poses a challenge to law enforcement.

It has been a month since the Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) at the Special Cell regarding the deepfake AI-generated video. The Delhi Commission for Women has also sought action over the circulating deepfake video, emphasizing the severity of the issue.

Union Minister for Communications, Electronics, and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, issued notices to social media platforms on November 18, directing them to identify and remove such content. While the platforms have responded and taken action, challenges persist in tracking down the culprits.

The Delhi Police's Internet Freedom and Safety for Online Users (IFSO) unit sent a letter to Meta, but the company expressed its inability to provide details of the deleted account. The police are now awaiting a response from GoDaddy, as a similar profile was created through this internet domain registry.

Addressing the issue of deepfakes, Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized its significance during a media interaction on November 18. He stated, "Deepfake is a big issue for all of us. We recently issued notices to all the big social media forms, asking them to take steps to identify deepfakes, to remove those content. The social media platforms have responded. They are taking action. We have told them to be more aggressive in this work."

- PTC PUNJABI