Foreign spies may be using deepfakes to target China and its people, security ministry warns

Foreign spies could be using deepfake technology to threaten both individual and national security, China’s Ministry of State Security has warned.

Deepfake tools, while finding application in general industries, could be exploited by espionage agencies as a new weapon for “cognitive warfare”, the ministry said in a statement on its social media account on Saturday.

It also urged better personal privacy protection and vigilance from citizens, particularly those holding sensitive positions.

“Avoid inputting state secrets, trade secrets, or personal sensitive information into related software, and refrain from sharing classified content online,” the statement said, while urging people to look out for suspicious content.

“Certain foreign spy agencies may leverage this emerging [deepfake] technology to upgrade intelligence-gathering methods, carry out recruitment [or] defection efforts [and] defamation campaigns, and spread disinformation,” cautioned the ministry, which is China’s top intelligence agency.

Deepfake, derived from “deep learning” and “fake”, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to manipulate images, audio and video, making highly realistic forgeries nearly indistinguishable from reality.