Cybercrime And Deepfakes Have Become Global Plagues That Must Be Stopped --- DICT

Cybercriminals using deepfakes and generative AI tools have become "global plagues" that must be stopped, according to Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy.

Deepfake technology allows the manipulation of a person's voice, video image, or photo, making it appear and sound like the real person.

Deepfake technology allows the manipulation of a person's voice, video image, or photo, making it appear and sound like the real person, while cybercrime involves using computers and the internet for illegal activities, including fraud, trafficking, intellectual property breaches, identity theft, and privacy violations.

Secretary Uy warned that these illicit practices are now part of a “scamdemic” causing massive losses worldwide.

“It’s a global concern. The scams are pervasive all over the world. For example, in Singapore, the highest per capita loss from scams is around 5,000 Singapore dollars,” Uy said.

“This is a very lucrative criminal activity. Cybercrime has actually surpassed drugs in terms of profitability for the cybercriminals,” he added.

According to Uy, cybercriminals employing deepfakes are investing significant resources into perpetuating their activities through scamming, phishing, ransomware, and other malicious tactics.

He also expressed concern about the impact of deepfakes and generative AI tools on the electoral process, warning that these technologies could be used for political gain.

“Especially during elections, these tools can be used to malign or discredit certain individuals by attributing fake quotations or phrases to them. This becomes even more destructive if such content is released just days before people cast their ballots, leaving no time for the real person to refute the falsehoods,” Uy emphasized.

“Even a first-world country like the United States is struggling to fully address this issue. There are still new cases emerging,” he lamented.

Uy revealed that the DICT is developing software and a platform to be integrated into existing government apps to combat cybercrimes and misinformation. He also urged legislators to enact laws to curb these illicit online activities.