Iranian agents were behind the recent hack of the Donald Trump for President Campaign, according to the FBI.

US officials said in a joint statement that Iran had hacked internal Trump campaign messages to “stoke discord and undermine confidence” in US democratic institutions.

Iran also attempted to hack the campaign of Trump’s presidential rival, Kamala Harris, according to reports in the US.

The attack took place on 10^th August and was believed to be carried out through a spear-phishing email, though it remains unclear what information, if any, was stolen from the Trump campaign.

US publications, including the New York Times and Washington Post, said they had been sent confidential information from inside the Trump campaign but did not offer specifics.

“The [intelligence community] is confident that the Iranians have, through social engineering and other efforts, sought access to individuals with direct access to the Presidential campaigns of both political parties,” US intelligence officials said in the statement.

Read more…

CMA halts Apple and Google probes: New powers to tackle App Store monopoly

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has said it will close a pair of investigations into Apple and Google’s mobile app ecosystems but warned it still had concerns over app distribution.

The CMA said it was shutting down the probes into iOS and Android, which had run since March 2021 and June 2022, respectively, citing administrative priorities.

The competition watchdog first began investigating Apple’s conduct in distributing apps across its ecosystem, focusing on the terms and conditions that govern developer access to the platforms.

It followed this up with a probe into the Google Play Store rules for its own billing system, warning that the T&Cs may limit developers’ choice and thus reduce competition.

In an announcement, the CMA said it would close the probes and instead focus on using new competition powers granted in the Digital Markets Act 2024 to “resolve app store concerns”.

Read more…

Elon Musk shuts X office in Brazil amid court censorship clash 

Elon Musk-owned social media platform X has closed its office in Brazil after a row over Brazil censorship laws in a Brazilian court.

The platform formerly known as Twitter accused Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes of threatening its legal representative with arrest for failing to comply with his orders.

Judge Moraes had ruled that X accounts accused of spreading disinformation would be blocked while the court investigated them. Reports from the country claim several of the accounts support former Brazilian President Jair Bolsanaro.

The ruling prompted Musk, who bought X in 2022, to criticise the judge. The judge said the company should be fined almost $20,000 a day for any account it reactivated.

In a statement, X said its Brazilian staff had no control over blocking content.

“As a result, to protect the safety of our staff, we have made the decision to close our operation in Brazil, effective immediately,” X said.

“The responsibility lies solely with Alexandre de Moraes. His actions are incompatible with democratic government.”

Read more…

Condé Nast strikes AI content deal with OpenAI

OpenAI has struck a deal with publishing giant Condé Nast to allow ChatGPT and its search engine to display content from Vogue, the New Yorker, GQ and other publications.

The multi-year deal is one of several AI content partnerships struck by the generative AI firm to add content to train ChatGPT, following similar deals with the Financial Times and Time Magazine.

Other publishers, such as the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, have expressed opposition to this model.

“We’re committed to working with Condé Nast and other news publishers to ensure that as AI plays a larger role in news discovery and delivery, it maintains accuracy, integrity, and respect for quality reporting,” said Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s chief operating officer.

Read more…

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At the time of writing, the results indicate that Labour will secure at least 412 seats in the new Parliament, while Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives have lost hundreds. Sunak has already conceded defeat in the election.

With Starmer set to take the reins of power today, TechInformed looks at the tech policies promised by the winning Labour Party in its manifesto, released in the run-up to the election.

To read the manifesto pledges from all of the major parties in the run-up to the 2024 UK election, see our 10 Tech Commitments breakdown.

Almost half of Brits would have voted for an AI over Rishi Sunak, according to a survey by AIPRM.

Read more TechInformed coverage of elections around the world pertaining to technology here.

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AIPRM surveyed 2,000 UK adults and presented them with two sets of political promises: one from the current Conservative Party and another generated by ChatGPT.

The AI-generated manifesto included expanded NHS services, high-speed internet access, and increased public access to government data.

In contrast, the Tory manifesto focuses on the return of the help-to-buy housing scheme, tougher sentences for criminals, and immigration control.

Public response and preferences

The results showed that 46% of respondents favoured the AI-generated manifesto, while only 23% preferred the Conservative one.

Support for the AI manifesto was notably strong in Labour-held Nottingham and SNP stronghold Edinburgh, with 51% of people backing the AI candidate.

Age also played a crucial role, with the 35-44 age group showing the highest support at 53%, closely followed by the 16-24 age group at 52%.

Interestingly, the 25-34 age group showed the highest level of support for the Conservative manifesto at 29%, but a larger majority (51%) still preferred the AI candidate for Prime Minister in the upcoming UK election.

Christopher C Cemper, founder and CEO of AIPRM, said, “The fact that only 23% of people preferred Rishi Sunak’s Conservative manifesto over the AI-generated one, without knowing it was crafted by AI, suggests a growing discontent with traditional political rhetoric.

“It shows that voters are looking for fresh, data-driven solutions that may resonate more effectively with their concerns and aspirations,” he added.

The full results of the survey can be found here.

Innovative solutions

The AI-generated manifesto’s popularity could be attributed to its focus on progressive and practical solutions to common issues, some of which were hotly discussed during the UK election debates.

“With respondents being unaware that the manifesto they preferred was generated by AI, it signifies a shift in how people evaluate political platforms — favouring content and ideas over the source or personality behind them,” said Cemper.

Promises like affordable housing, comprehensive NHS services, and renewable energy investments address significant gaps in current policies and align with the public’s evolving expectations.

Another potentially appealing aspect of the AI manifesto is its emphasis on transparency and accessibility, promising to increase public access to government data and enhance accountability.

What are the potential benefits of integrating AI into politics?

The survey results suggest a shift in voter expectations, where content and ideas are valued over the personalities behind them. Could this indicate a potential for AI to play a more significant role in shaping political discourse and policymaking in the future?

While the idea of an AI politician is fascinating — if not a little unnerving — it also raises important ethical and practical considerations. Is the world ready for AI involvement in politics, given the current climate of trust in the technology?

Integrating AI into politics could lead to more data-driven and efficient policymaking. AI can analyse vast amounts of data to identify trends, which could, in turn, help develop policies that better address the public’s needs and concerns.

However, ethical considerations, such as bias in AI algorithms and the potential loss of human empathy in decision-making, need to be addressed to ensure that AI technologies enhance rather than hinder democratic processes.

Cemper concluded, “As AI becomes more integrated into political processes, it will be essential to ensure that these technologies are used responsibly and ethically, maintaining the human element that is vital for genuine engagement.”

Whilst there isn’t an AI on the ballot this time, TechInformed recently reported on each of the main parties’ tech pledges based on their manifestos; read it here to see who you would vote for in the UK election.

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Amidst the buzz of campaign slogans and policy pledges, TechInformed delves into the digital DNA of the main parties’ manifestos, unravelling how the Conservative, Green, Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Reform parties plan to code the future of Britain.

From AI investment to 5G rollouts, here’s a byte-sized breakdown of ten key areas where the major parties have promised to act and what each has pledged.

1. Digital Infrastructure

According to the Digital Catapult Digital Futures Index, the UK is one of the most advanced digital economies in the world, ranking first in Europe for advanced digital technologies. In fact, only the US and China are viewed as ahead of the UK. Key pledges span investments in mobile technology, data centres, and planning reform.

2. Broadband & 5G

According to regulator Ofcom, the UK ranks highly on the GSMA Mobile Connectivity Index, with almost 100% of the population covered by mobile broadband and 76% of the population covered by 5G. 24 million homes have access to gigabit broadband.

3. Tech Innovation & Regulation

All the major parties claim they want to position the UK as a leader in tech by creating an investment-friendly regulatory structure and backing research and development.

4. Tax

Tax has been a topic of significant debate during the election run-in. Rishi Sunak has pledged to cut taxes, although the UK tax burden is higher now than ever before, Labour claims. The PM has also accused rival Starmer of planning to raise taxes – though Labour has insisted it will not increase the tax burden on “working people”.

5. AI (Regulation / Investment)

AI is a hot topic, and Sunak seeks to position the UK at the forefront of the GenAI revolution. Last year, the PM held the world’s first AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park.

6. Data

The manifestos focus on data safety, age verification, and promoting the use of data to boost growth.

7. Cybersecurity

Cyber threats to businesses are growing in both the number and complexity of attacks. Keeping the UK safe is no longer just a military consideration, with all major parties pledging to invest in cyber security.

8. Public Sector

The UK has a massive public sector that employs more than 500,000 full-time equivalent civil servants. Training in AI and other digital tools is seen as vital to improving efficiency within the sector.

9. NHS

The National Health Service is in crisis. The Covid-19 pandemic left waiting lists for NHS appointments at an all-time high, while an ageing population is increasing pressure on longer-term care. Recent cyber attacks against NHS partners has also sharpened focus. Can tech play a role in fixing the NHS?

10. Energy & Climate Change

The UK has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050, but balancing the cost of adopting net zero policies with the recent cost of living crisis has led to a divide between the major parties.

The Green Party & Reform UK

While neither the Green Party nor the Reform Party are as detailed about tech policies in their manifestos, they each highlighted a few key areas relevant to technology and innovation. The SNP is also a major party, but we opted to focus on the major contenders because it and Plaid Cymru are not UK-wide parties.

Here’s a summary of the Green and Reform positions:

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The advocacy group for London’s private tech sector, which boasts more than 18,000 members, together with the tech campus Here East, claims that the eight policy focus areas will drive growth and prosperity of the capital’s tech ecosystem.

Announced at a TLA event today at Here East’s campus on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, areas of focus included upskilling Londoners with AI and LLM skills, the funding of more locally-based green tech ventures as well as pushing more initiatives that will make the London Stock market a more attractive listing location for scale-ups.

The tech association also recommended making 5G more of a London-wide rather than a Central London-only feature, as well as improving diversity and inclusion throughout the sector with skills bootcamps and other programmes.

Tech London Advocates & Global Tech Advocates founder Russ Shaw said that the recommendations were designed “to strengthen London’s vibrant tech ecosystem as a launchpad for the future, ensuring the city retains its place as a world-leading tech hub”.

He added: “Improvements to diversity of talent in the sector and the need to build ultra-fast fibre networks are not wishful thinking, but basic requirements to fuel the continued growth of London tech.”

Incumbent Mayor of London, Labour’s Sadiq Khan, is the favourite to win a third, four-year term as London Mayor. Khan’s green pledges include a zero-emissions bus fleet by 2030, along with 40,000 electric vehicle charging points in the capital.

Khan also recently called for a crackdown on disinformation leading up to the mayoral elections, following a deepfake audio of his voice which was widely distributed on social media.

Other candidates include the Conservative’s Susan Hall, who is focussed on female safety in the city, and independent candidates such as Natalie Campbell – the co-CEO of bottled water social enterprise Belu.

The eight recommendations – in full

According to TLA and Here East the following policy areas should be considered over the next four-year term:

Develop and revitalise London’s digital talent Expand the Mayor’s pledge to equip Londoners with the skills necessary to take full advantage of a new AI and LLM-driven tech environment by investing in upskilling and reskilling programmes, as well as London’s world-leading universities, ensuring the capital has access to the world’s most digitally literate workforce.

Support a balanced and effective regulatory landscape Support the CMA and CFA in creating an agile regulatory environment that encourages innovation but protects against the dangers of untested emerging technologies; support the building of regulatory sandboxes and create a regulatory framework that can quickly adjust to a rapidly changing tech ecosystem.

Bolster London’s ‘world-leading’ cleantech sector Position the cleantech sector as one of the first lines of defence against the climate emergency. Create educational programmes that inspire the next generation of cleantech enthusiasts, while demonstrating its real-world potential by supporting green technology and clean air initiatives throughout the city, building on the mayor’s pledge for a greener London.

Make the London markets a more attractive place to list Strengthen London’s listing environment by adopting pro-business initiatives that encourage UK-based businesses to scale at home. Create an entrepreneur-led environment by removing needless bureaucracy and supporting pro-business reforms such as the Mansion House Compact.

Harness London’s capabilities with emerging technologies Develop world-leading emerging technology capabilities by amplifying the expertise of leading industry groups. Promote existing initiatives such as the London Data Charter and the Smart London Agenda and build knowledge-sharing bridges between academia and industry.

Improve tech sector diversity and inclusion Champion initiatives that teach technical skills throughout London, ensuring that marginalised groups and those from underrepresented areas can access tech opportunities through skills bootcamps and other skills-focused programmes.

Connect London with other tech hubs – both domestic and international Take advantage of London’s global credentials by enhancing engagement with the wider UK and the rest of the world through trade missions and increased support for major tech events such as London Tech Week and London Data Week.

Build world-beating 5G and ultra-fast fast fibre networks Build on the Mayor’s pledge to make London the world’s best-connected city, building 5G-supporting infrastructure, installing citywide, rather than Zone One focused, super-fast broadband and ensuring continued funding for the ‘Connected London’ scheme. 

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The affected MPs however, have claimed the government has not gone far enough, with one of its targets – former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith – declaring yesterday’s actions as the equivalent of “an elephant giving birth to a mouse.”

Industry experts also weighed in, adding that with a UK general election on the horizon, the government needed to send out a clear message to state-backed threat actors and to also ensure that its cyber practices were up to date and fit for purpose.

In a widely pre-briefed speech in the House of Commons yesterday afternoon, deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden reiterated that the attack on the UK’s elections watchdog marked a “clear and persistent pattern of behaviour that signals hostile intent from China”.

FBI director fires critical infrastructure hack warning 

However, Dowden stopped short of officially declaring China as a threat to UK democracy.

As a result of the sanctions, two individuals – Zhao Guangzong and Ni Gaobin – and one business – the Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company – have been sanctioned by the UK.

All have been accused of working for the China state-affiliated cyber espionage group Advanced Persistent Threat Group 31 (APT31).

The government sanctions will freeze assets, preventing UK citizens and businesses from handling their funds or resources. A travel ban will also prevent individuals or people working for the company from entering or remaining in the UK.

The Chinese embassy in the UK denies the attacks were anything to do with China, adding that the claims amounted to “malicious slander”.

2021-22 cyber attacks

The cyber attack on the UK Electoral Commission between August 2021 and October 2022 enabled hackers to access the personal details of about 40m voters and to gain sensitive emails from its “control systems” and between election officials over six by-elections.

The MPs targeted are all members of the Interparliamentary Alliance on China, which scrutinises the activities of Beijing.

They include former Tory leader Duncan Smith, former minister Tim Loughton and the SNP’s Stewart McDonald, who all sustained harassment, failed hacks and impersonations by groups seeking to influence foreign dignitaries.

Too little too late?

However, security experts and the affected MPs claim that the actions amounted to ‘too little, too late’, accusing Dowden of missing an opportunity to designate China as a “threat” and send out a clear message.

Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick joined Duncan Smith in criticising the action, saying the response was “feeble” and would only “embolden China”.

These MPs’ concerns were echoed by many cyber security firms, who not only felt that the UK government has been treading too softly in its dealings with China on this issue, but that it needed to refine its cyber security practices ahead of the next general election.

According to Al Lakhani, CEO of security firm IDEE, while international relations are built on good faith and mutual interests these don’t always correlate with good cybersecurity practices “which must be built on zero trust”.

He added: “The government is blatantly tiptoeing around the issue, evidently paralysed by the fear of alienating global superpowers, but the result is compromised personal data and undermining confidence in electoral processes.”

CTO of Advanced Cyber Defence Systems Elliott Wilkes added that while the conventional option was to sanction individuals, these actions rarely yield successful results.

“To my knowledge, none of the individuals associated with the OPM breach who were sanctioned by the US government have been arrested.

“A bolder step might include more direct cyber action, but this has the potential to escalate already heightened tensions between the UK (and the West) and China.

“The danger of this attack is that it underscores the ability of a major global power to act in a way designed for intelligence gathering but also intimidation, without fear of significant recourse,” he said.

Business threat

Jamie Akhtar, co-founder and CEO at CyberSmart added that the situation emphasized the need for the UK to “continually refine its holistic cyber security strategy”

He added: “Defence needs to go further than protection for state institutions. As we’ve seen time and again, nation-state actors will also target businesses that provide services to the government too.

“Without a defence strategy that incorporates every aspect of society, from small businesses to schools to state bodies, nation-state actors will keep finding new routes in,” he warned.

The cyber experts also reiterated that while nation-state attacks are often perceived as highly sophisticated, most breaches are successful due to spear-phishing campaigns, and exploitation of software vulnerabilities.

“The government needs to find better ways of protecting its systems and data. When it comes to something as important as national security, relying on outdated cybersecurity solutions that detect attacks, but stop short of preventing them, is nothing short of dangerous,” said Lakhani.

“I hope that lessons have been learned from past breaches, that this marks a turning point in the UK’s cyber security preparedness, and that we move towards a digitally secure future rooted in identity proofing and transitive trust,” he added.

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The numbers of Republican and Democrat voters who expressed concerns about AI-generated content derailing the electoral process was strikingly similar – with 79% of Democrats and 80% Republicans worried about this threat.

A One Poll survey of 2,000 registered US voters also found that citizens believe AI will have a negative effect on this year’s election outcomes: 42% Democrats and 49% Republicans.

The poll – which was commissioned by the Federal Election Commission-approved non profit Defending Digital Campaigns (DDC) and security key vendor Yubico – also found that 85% of people who engaged in political campaigns in the run up to the elections did not have confidence that their personal data was being protected effectively.

The survey found that over half of all respondents said that they had received an email and/or text message from a campaign that they suspected was a phishing attempt.

The survey found that these doubts and phishing attempts were likely to have an impact on future donations, with 42% saying they would be less likely to donate if the campaign was hacked. A further 30% reported that this would even change the likelihood of a candidate receiving their vote.

Campaigns under attack

“Campaigns are the heart of our democracy, and every campaign must adopt basic cybersecurity protections. This year is particularly risky for cyber attacks directed at candidates, staffers, and anyone associated with a campaign,” warned Michael Kaiser, president, and CEO of the DDC.

“Having the right cyber security in place is not an option — it’s essential for anyone running a political operation. Otherwise, campaigns risk not only losing valuable data, but losing voters,” he added.

The DDC’s survey found that 42% of voters would like to see campaigns and candidates take more precautions to prevent their websites from being hacked. A similar number (41%) said they would welcome strong security measures like multi-factor authentication on their accounts.

Having policies in place to protect personal data and offering cyber security training for staffers and key volunteers was also valued by a quarter of all respondents.

“Because campaigns are built on trust, potential hacks like fraudulent emails or messages sent out impersonating them via their social media accounts where they are directly interacting with their audience, could be detrimental to campaigns,” said David Treece, vice president of solutions architecture at Yubico Treece.

“Candidates need to take proper steps to protect their campaign and more importantly, to build trust with voters, by adopting modern cybersecurity practices like multi-factor authentication.”

The poll results follow news in January that voters in the state of New Hampshire received a call with a deepfake audio of Joe Biden advising them not to vote in the presidential primary elections this week.

With over two billion voters heading to the polls in over 50 countries. the World Economic Forum identified misinformation and disinformation as the most dominant short-term threat for this year.

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The head of EU affairs at Meta, Marco Pancini, used a blog post to announce the social media giant’s fact-checking network which has been created to “identify potential threats and put specific mitigations in place,” when it comes to misinformation.

Year of elections: a deepfake threat on politics and business

At the end of last year, Meta announced it would require advertisers to disclose deepfake ads, and in the months between July and December 2023, it removed 430,000 ads in the EU that failed to carry a disclaimer.

Now for the EU elections, a team will also be on hand to debunk any misleading AI-generated content and prevent them from going live.

When it comes to user-created content, Meta will be adding a feature to label AI-generated video or audio, and it may apply penalties if accounts fail to do so.

If the team concludes that a digitally created or altered image, video, or audio content is made to maliciously deceive the public on a matter of importance, Meta says it may add a label, so people have more information and context.

Similar labelling will also be applied to usual posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, that could contribute to imminent violence, or that are intended to suppress voting. The team will also limit its distribution in Feed, so people are less likely to see it.

It will also label state-controlled media on its platforms so that users are aware when content is from a publication that may be under the editorial control of a government.

Pancini writes that after Meta applied stronger enforcements to Russian state-controlled media, including blocking them in the EU and demoting their posts globally, posting volumes on their pages went down 55% and engagement levels were down 94% compared to pre-ware levels, and more than half of all Russian state media assets had stopped posting altogether.

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With the previous Prime Minister, Imran Khan, ousted in a no-confidence vote nearly two years ago and imprisoned on corruption charges, the stage is set for a contentious election.

Real-time network data from NetBlocks confirmed extensive internet blackouts in multiple regions of Pakistan, alongside mobile network disruptions.

Update: Real-time network data show that internet blackouts are now in effect in multiple regions of #Pakistan in addition to mobile network disruptions; the incident comes on election day and follows months of digital censorship targeting the political opposition pic.twitter.com/47Yja44TI9

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) February 8, 2024

This incident marks a significant precedent in the country’s approach to controlling information during critical periods and follows months of digital censorship targeting the political opposition.

TI reported on the internet shutdown in Pakistan earlier this month as the country’s leading opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) launched an online fundraising campaign ahead of the election.

The blackouts, affecting both mobile calls and data services, come in the wake of recent terror incidents — including two bomb blasts in Balochistan province that killed 28 people.

The interior ministry used such incidents to justify the internet shutdown measures as necessary for maintaining security during the election period.

“Security measures are essential to maintain the law-and-order situation and to deal with potential threats,” a spokesperson said, emphasising the government’s priority of ensuring safety over convenience on election day.

But Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of the late ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and a candidate in the current election, isn’t buying it. He has called for services to be restored immediately.

Mobile phone services must be restored immediately across the country have asked my party to approach both ECP and the courts for this purpose.

— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) February 8, 2024

His party, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), has approached both the election commission and the courts to challenge the shutdown.

The decision to suspend communication services, which has left Wi-Fi networks as the only functioning internet service, has been met with widespread criticism and concern from within a nation already scrutinised for its history of internet shutdowns.

The blackout has created practical obstacles, such as the inability to book taxis to reach polling stations or to coordinate with family members. Critics argue that this move hampers the democratic process, stating that voters should be facilitated, not hindered.

Similar calls have come from the Karachi branch of Jamaat-i-Islami, another party standing in the elections, as well as the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), both demanding the rapid reinstatement of communication services.

The HRCP’s statement pointed to a lack of transparency and potential impacts on voters’ rights and the transmission of election results.

In an interesting twist, Pakistani Twitter users have taken to the platform to appeal to tech mogul Elon Musk. They’re requesting access to Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet service, as a countermeasure to the government-imposed internet shutdown.

Hey @elonmusk can we have Starlink for Pakistan for JUST ONE DAY for elections on 8th February? Please

— Dr. J (@DoctorJahangir) February 6, 2024

This move underscores the growing desperation among the Pakistani people for uninterrupted access to information and communication, especially during such a pivotal moment in the country’s democratic process.

Elon Musk has been criticised in the past for not activating his Starlink satellite’s connectivity during a Ukraine attack on Russia as he sought to avoid being “complicit in a major act of war”, as reported by TI.

It remains to be seen how the mobile network and internet shutdown will affect the outcome of the election. It’s unclear when exactly the results will be announced, but they must be announced within two weeks of the election.

The post Election day internet shutdown in Pakistan amid security concerns appeared first on TechInformed.

And how these pledges are communicated the globe is changing with social media now playing a dominant role.

According to a study undertaken by Reuters and the University of Oxford, in major territories such as  Japan, Australia, Brazil, and a number across Europe, nearly a third of people used Facebook for their news last year.

Approximately 20% used YouTube, 16% used WhatsApp, and 6% used TikTok. While numbers for the latter seem low, TikTok news consumption is increasing, and much higher in younger groups in some Asia-Pacific, Latin American, and African countries where it ranges from 20 to 30%.

Why does this matter? Because, as we’ve learned over the last decade, not all information online is true, and deepfake content has already been impacting elections.

Already, recent elections in countries including Kenya, Brazil, and Turkey have taken victim to misinformation including deepfakes.

The World Economic Forum identified misinformation and disinformation as the most dominant short-term threat for this year, and while that may have topped interstate armed conflict at number six, some say it may become a cause for warfare.

Last year, human rights activist and great-grandson of South African president Nelson Mandela, warned that deepfakes could spark a civil war or genocide in areas of Africa rife with tension.

“The dangerous thing about the spread of deepfakes is that they are not easy to track because once it hits WhatsApp it can be forwarded to as many people as it possibly can,” he said.

“Think of the impact and the damage it could cause. You could rally a particular ethnic group to attack another, in the split of a second.”

Meanwhile in the US, just last weekend some voters in the state of New Hampshire received a call with a deepfake audio of Joe Biden advising them not to vote in the presidential primary elections this week.

The phone message faking to be Biden said: “Voting this Tuesday only enables the Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again. Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday.”

New Hampshire’s attorney general office was forced to release a statement debunking the call: “Although the voice in the robocall sounds like the voice of President Biden, this message appears to be artificially generated based on initial indications.”

In Europe, the UK electoral watchdog warned early last year that the nation’s elections could be affected by deepfakes, with laws “very old and really [in] need to be updated.”

“There is legitimate cause for concern regarding the potential impact of deepfake technology on elections this year,” says Tim Callan, chief experience officer at New Jersey-based cyber security firm Sectigo. The rapid advancements in AI mean more individuals now can create convincing deepfake scams, with little time or money needed.”

Cyber on deepfakes in elections

Callan believes that the upcoming elections mean there is a heightened risk that politicians may become targets.

“The sophistication of AI allows for the replication of every aspect of an individual’s appearance, encompassing their eyes, face, and voice.”

“A notable example is the deepfake audio featuring Keir Starmer (the UK’s opposition leader) towards the end of 2023. This underlines the need for vigilance and proactive measures to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process in the face of evolving technological threats.”

The audio perpetrating to be Keir Starmer swearing and abusing party staffers gathered 1.5 million views on social media platform X, which the politician himself was then forced to debunk.

“Deepfake videos could be engineered to fabricate campaign events, speeches, or debates featuring presidential candidates, with the aim of deceiving the public into endorsing manipulated views, opinions, policies, or worse,” says David Emm, principal security researcher at cyber security firm Kaspersky.

“To accomplish this, scammers employ technology to digitally analyse distinctive features of an individual, including their face, hair, body, hand gestures, vocal cues, and voice to build fake characters,” Emm explains.

“As the election campaign trail gains momentum, and more content is broadcasted with messages released, this is when fraudsters are likely to strike.”

Recently, Slovakia’s election became victim of deepfake content affecting its candidates and spread across Facebook and on chain emails.

The fake audio supposedly featured candidates discussing strategies on how to rig the elections, just two days before the vote.

To help tackle this, Meta recently announced new rules that required advertisers to disclose commercial AI alteration. The big tech firm which owns Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp is expecting advertisers to admit to AI alterations during the submission process if an ad “contains a photorealistic image or view, or realistic sounding audio.”

However, the firm’s president of global affairs and ex deputy UK prime minster Nick Clegg adds that advertisers aren’t required to disclose fake images that are “inconsequential or immaterial” to the claims made in the ad.

Also, while some have highlighted this as a step forward to a more trustworthy social media, the rules do not appear to cover posts made by individual users.

“The public must understand the importance of verifying everything they see online,” enforces Callan. “It may seem unnecessary, but by developing a healthy scepticism towards online content and cross-checking information from multiple reliable sources, the public should be better able to decipher real from fake.”

Last year, for instance, a deepfake of Turkey’s opposition leader in the run up to its election spread online. However, it was quickly debunked by viewers as the candidate unusually spoke fluent English in the video.

Another solution, Callan suggests, would be to start integrating built-in encrypted timestamps on all recording devices to serve as a watermark at the moment of capture.

“These encrypted watermarks should be based on the highly secure Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), providing flawless means to distinguish authentic content from deepfakes,” he said. “This approach aims to restore digital trust by implementing a reliable verification mechanism.”

Should your business prepare for a rise in deepfake scams?

According to identity verification service Sumsub, the number of deepfakes detected across all industries has increased ten times more in the last year.

Its head of AI and ML, Pavel Goldman says that “deepfakes pave the way for identity theft, scams, and misinformation on an unprecedented scale.”

The best way to prevent deepfake fraud, Callan says is through education: “By conducting regular training sessions which educate employees about the existence and risks of deepfake technology, they will be one step ahead when faced with a deepfake threat.”

“Businesses need to ensure that employees, as well as their systems, can verify the identity of the person they are communicating with.”

Plus, Callan advises businesses to include adopting stricter authentication measures, regularly updating security policies, and working with experts to stay informed on best practices.

Still, David Emm of Kaspersky adds that the impact on daily lives is, for now, likely limited: “In contrast to more commonplace scams like phishing attacks, the creation of convincing deepfake videos is a resource-intensive process, both in terms of cost and time.”

Another concern is the use of deepfakes to access business and bank accounts using biometric verification. Kaarel Kotkas, CEO of biometric verification platform Veriff ensures that with the right technology, this risk is marginal.

“You can’t rely on the information you see,” says Kotkas. “More than 70% of fraud found is actually from the data points that are invisible to human eyes.”

For example, if someone was to try and hack into a computer using a deepfake: “Visually, it might be okay for the human eyes, but essentially it could be that the frame rate doesn’t align with the camera device connected to the computer.”

To ensure a hyper secure firm using biometrics, a password could be conducted through a series of eye movements: “That is very hard for a synthetic content to replicate,” Kotkas suggests.

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