Sachin Tendulkar cautions netizens about a deepfake video of him promoting a gaming app

A deepfake video has surfaced online, depicting Sachin Tendulkar endorsing a shady gaming app- Skyward Aviator Quest. The video promotes the app and falsely asserts that his daughter, Sara, is making profit from it.

In response to this alarming misuse of technology, Tendulkar has taken to social media to address the issue. He emphasises the importance of vigilance and urges swift action to curb the dissemination of misinformation.

"These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology. Request everyone to report videos, ads & apps like these in large numbers," he wrote on X.

Recently, Sachin's face with his consent was deaged for a Ageas Federal Life Insurance campaign.

This is not the first time that a renowned celebrity fell trap into deepfake scam. Last year, Rashmika Mandanna faced a similar issue where a manipulated video featuring a lookalike of the actor circulated online, sparking discussions on digital safety. Subsequently, it was revealed that the person in the video was British actress Zara Patel.

"Something like this is honestly, extremely scary not only for me but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused," she said.

To tackle these scams, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released an official advisory in December 2023, urging all intermediaries to comply with the existing IT rules. The advisory specifically highlights concerns regarding the spread of misinformation through AI, particularly emphasising the threat posed by deep fakes.

"There is no separate regulation for deepfakes, existing regulations already cover it under Rule 3(1)(b) (v) of IT Rules, 2021. We are now seeking 100% enforcement by the platforms and for the platforms to be more proactive including alignment of terms of use and educating users of 12 no-go areas which they should have done by now, but have not. As a result, we are issuing an advisory to them," added Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for information technology.