Italy's PM Georgia Meloni seeks compensation of €1,00,000 in deep fake video case

Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni has asked for compensation in the case of the deepfake video. This amount of compensation will be 1 lakh Euro i.e. 90 lakh rupees. This case is under trial in the Sassari Court of Sardinia. Prime Minister Meloni's testimony is to take place on July 2, 2024. Come, let us understand what is the whole matter.

In the year 2022, Georgia Meloni's video was posted on an American adult content website. Georgia Meloni was not the Prime Minister of Italy at that time. The accused had superimposed Georgia's face on the face of an adult film star. That is, Meloni's deepfake video was created through face morphing technology. According to a BBC report, the mobile which was used to upload the adult video. Police traced that mobile and arrested the 40-year-old accused. The surprising thing was that his 73-year-old father was also involved in this work. Together, both of them made a fake video with the help of artificial intelligence.

What could be the punishment?

According to the statement issued by Meloni's team, this video uploaded in 2022 has been viewed by millions of people. According to Italian law, this is a crime for which the punishment can range from 6 months to 3 years in jail. However, when the accused were caught, the trial began. A defamation case was filed against both the accused on behalf of Georgia Meloni. Now a compensation of 1 lakh Euro, i.e. about Rs 90 lakh has been demanded as damages.

Why demand compensation?

Meloni's lawyer Maria Giulia Marongiu said - The compensation the Prime Minister is asking for is symbolic. The purpose of this compensation is to send a message to the women who are victims of such crimes that they should not be afraid to raise their voices. If compensation is awarded, she will donate the amount to help women who are victims of violence.

What is a 'deepfake' video?

In today's digital era, many people are spreading wrong news and misleading information through the internet. Similar fake videos are also sent to the people. These videos are called deepfakes. In this, it is very difficult to identify real and fake. Because Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning software are used in making these videos. This can be considered an advanced form of morphing. In simple language, through AI technology, a fake copy of a photograph, audio or video is created, which looks real. It's just that the subject changes. That is, another face is superimposed on a person's face so clearly that the viewer gets deceived. The purpose of making these videos could be to tarnish people's image, defame them and extort money.

These celebrities also became targets

You must have heard in the news, a similar video of Bollywood actress Rashmika Mandanna had also surfaced. This video was shared widely on social media. That video was also deepfake. In it, the face of a girl named Zara Patel was replaced with Rashmika's face. Everyone from Amitabh Bachchan to Rashmika Mandanna herself expressed surprise at this deepfake video. Apart from Rashmika, deepfake videos of Akshay Kumar, Alia Bhatt and Kajol also went viral on the internet. The motive behind this was to damage the reputation of these celebrities.