London Mayor reveals how close deepfake came to causing “serious disorder”

London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan, called for a crackdown on disinformation following a deepfake audio of his voice was leaked. The faked audio depicted him making inflammatory remarks before the UK’s Remembrance Weekend commemorations last year.

Speaking on a podcast published this week, Khan added that the deepfake almost caused “serious disorder” when it was shared across social media.

Hundreds of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in London on Armistice Day, and 145 arrests were made.

The London Mayor’s deepfake did not constitute a criminal offence, according to the Metropolitan police. This decision highlights how the law is perhaps outdated by some of the new threats posed by AI.

Khan told the podcast that the man who created the audio “got away with it” and that existing laws to govern deepfakes are not “fit for purpose.”

“What was being said was a red rag to a bull for the far right and others,” Sadiq Khan told the BBC podcast ‘Why do you hate me?’

The mayor argued that organisations like the Electoral Commission need more powers to deal with misinformation. He later tweeted: “We can’t overstate the grave danger this new technology poses to our politics and democratic freedoms.”

This deepfake video, shared by the far-right on social media, was a clear attempt to sow hatred and division ahead of Remembrance Day.

We can’t overstate the grave danger this new technology poses to our politics and democratic freedoms. https://t.co/9TiL30Gfmc

— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) February 14, 2024

The BBC says it traced the recording back to TikTok and what appears to be the originator of the clip — a profile called HJB News.

“I think parliament needs to wake up and understand that if they don’t take action, it’ll provide opportunities for mischief makers to be bolder,” Khan added.

“I think it’s really important that we understand that the current laws we have around copyright, IP, criminal law aren’t fit for purpose.”

In the same week that the clip went viral, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre warned that deepfake campaigns were likely to become more advanced in the run-up to the next general election, which is due to take place later this year.

Sadiq Khan will also be defending his position later in the year as London mayoral elections take place in May.

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