Over 500 people arrested in China for using ‘deep-fake’ fraud

Beijing, Aug 10 (EFE).- The Chinese police have arrested 515 people in a special campaign against cases of fraud using facial impersonation technology, also known as “deep-fake,” the Ministry of Public Security reported today.

The operation, which began in May, has solved 79 cases related to this type of crime, said Sun Jinfeng, an official in the ministry’s cybersecurity bureau, according to state-run Xinhua agency.

Sun explained that police have been “keeping a close eye on violations of citizens’ personal information by misusing advanced technologies such as ChatGPT, cloud computing, blockchain and deep-fake.”

Deep-fake is a technique that uses artificial intelligence to create fake videos or images, replacing or synthesizing people’s faces, voices and expressions.

There has been much concern about this technology for its ability to generate fake news, defame celebrities or politicians, create non-consensual pornography and also use it for extortion.

Sun said the theft of personal data is a key factor for other crimes, and promised a “heavy-handed approach” in cracking down on such violations.

Last month, the Chinese Internet regulator released a provisional regulation for the artificial intelligence sector.

It mandates that content created by chatbots and other generative models reflect “core socialist values” and not undermine “national unity,” or “subvert” state power. EFE

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