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 deepfake videos of him supposedly talking about international relations, foreign leaders, and other subjects.
“The motive of these deepfakes may not be commercial, but their malicious intent is clear,” added Mr Lee.
“Someone behind them wants to make it seem that these are views supported by me or the Singapore government. This is dangerous and potentially harmful to our national interests.”
If people come across such videos, they should always check if they are real and report them to the respective platform app.
He said: “Don’t share them, not even to tell people that they are fake, as viewers may not read your comment and wrongly assume that 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 Facebook post, Mr Lee showed screengrabs of the deepfake videos, which are hosted on TikTok.
One video, posted two days ago, uses a clip of him delivering a speech at what looks like the 2022 National Day Rally. It has been viewed more than 146,000 times.
The other video, posted six days ago, used a clip of him from his last interview with the media as prime minister. It has been played over 190,000 times.
The deepfake videos show Mr Lee apparently talking about US-China relations in the context of tensions in the South China Sea, as well as the two superpowers’ relationship with the Philippines.
As of 10.45pm on Thursday, both videos were still up on TikTok. CNA has contacted TikTok to ask if the videos would be taken down and the measures it takes to safeguard users from deepfakes.
