SINGAPORE: Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday ( Jun 27 ) warned people about “malicious” deepfake videos of him commenting on foreign relations and leaders.
In a Facebook post, Mr Lee said that there have been algorithmic clips of him presumably talking about foreign relations, foreign leaders, and different content.
” The purpose of these deepfakes may not be professional, but their nefarious purpose is obvious”, added Mr Lee.
” One behind them wants to make it appear that the Singapore government or I support these views. This is risky and could threaten our country’s pursuits.
Individuals who stumble across these videos should usually check whether they are authentic and report them to the appropriate software application.
He advised caution when sharing them, not even when it is true, because people might not take their words seriously and mistakenly believe the videos are real.
Authentic videos of the Senior Minister can be found on the Prime Minister’s Office ( PMO ) YouTube channel, the PMO website or official media sites.
In his Instagram article, Mr Lee showed screengrabs of the photoshopped videos, which are hosted on TikTok.
One movie, posted two days ago, uses a picture of him delivering a statement at what looks like the 2022 National Day Rally. It has been viewed more than 146, 000 days.
A picture of him from his most recent meeting with the press as prime minister was used in the various video, which was posted six days ago. It has been played over 190, 000 days.
In the algorithmic movies, Mr. Lee appears to be discussing US-China relations in light of conflicts in the South China Sea as well as the relationship between the two nations and the Philippines.
As of 10.45pm on Thursday, both movies were also away on TikTok. CNA contacted TikTok to inquire about whether the video may be removed, and what steps it took to protect users from deepfakes.