Category: Cyber Security | Published: 2025-07-17
A Legal Response to a Rapidly Growing Threat
Deepfakes, which are highly realistic synthetic media generated using artificial intelligence (AI), have become one of the most pressing digital threats of the past five years. By mimicking a person’s appearance, voice, and movements, these AI-generated videos, images or audio clips can convincingly impersonate individuals without their consent. Initially used for novelty and satire, they’re increasingly tied to malicious uses including fraud, harassment, and disinformation.
Massive Rise
According to a 2024 report from cybersecurity firm Sumsub, the number of detected deepfake videos worldwide rose by over a massive 700 per cent in a single year, with Europe seeing the sharpest spike. Consequently, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, Europol, has warned that deepfakes are _“a significant threat to democracy and trust in institutions,”_ particularly around elections and public figures. However, individuals are also at risk, e.g. from revenge porn to financial scams where a cloned voice is used to impersonate a relative or company executive.