- WhatsApp’s Tipline aids in identifying deepfakes during India’s Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
- Users can submit AI-manipulated content for analysis in multiple languages.
- Tipline detects manipulated videos featuring prominent figures and provides assessment reports.
WhatsApp’s Tipline emerges as a crucial tool in the fight against deepfakes during India’s Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Created by the Misinformation Combat Alliance’s Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU), the Tipline serves as a platform for users to raise awareness and verify the authenticity of images and videos circulating online.
Since its launch in March 2024, the Tipline has garnered hundreds of messages from users seeking assistance in distinguishing real from manipulated content. WhatsApp users can flag AI-altered content by submitting audio notes or videos to the Tipline, available in languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and English.
The majority of submissions received involve doctored videos featuring altered audio, particularly of notable personalities like actors, politicians, and TV anchors. These videos often employ face-blending techniques and generative AI to manipulate facial expressions and sync altered audio with lip movements, creating convincing deepfakes.
To utilize the Tipline, users simply send the suspicious media to the designated WhatsApp number and receive an assessment report detailing whether the content is AI-generated or contains manipulated elements. Pamposh Raina, Head of the DAU, emphasizes the collaborative approach of the initiative, aiming to drive public awareness and combat misinformation spread through algorithm-based fabrication.
