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Deepfakes: can’t believe your eyes?

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Oliver Lock outlines some possible legal routes to stop the misuse of deepfake technology
  • The legal industry and beyond are grappling with how to tackle deepfakes, a technology that is rapidly evolving and can have an insidious impact on reputation and credibility.
  • There are current legal routes available, from privacy laws in the UK to image rights in the US that are arguably fit for purpose to tackle deepfakes.
  • However, it will take the combination of legal, technical, and societal efforts to prevent the creation and spread of deepfakes for nefarious purposes.

Former US president Donald Trump was arrested in New York on 4 April. However, you may be forgiven for initially thinking that he had been arrested two weeks earlier when videos emerged online appearing to show Trump yelling at and fighting off NYPD officers or, in another, breaking free from police officers while Melania and Donald Trump Jr shout in protest of his arrest. These videos have been viewed many millions of times.

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NEWS
The Law Society RFC Festival of Sport returns next month, bringing together legal and financial services professionals for one of the sector’s largest annual sporting events
Legal aid deserts leave almost one in four without adequate access to justice
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has warned solicitors and law firms that using artificial intelligence does not alter their professional obligations, amid concerns over inaccurate legal material and client confidentiality
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

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