Deepfake video of BSP's Praveen Kumar stirs religious row

Hyderabad: A deepfake video, purportedly of BSP state chief R.S. Praveen Kumar, has stirred controversy on social media platforms, with the viral video depicting the politician and his followers insulting Hinduism.

The deepfake video shows a group of people taking a pledge saying that they did not believe in “Rama or Krishna or any other Hindu god”, and that they did not worship any other deity due to “lack of faith in Hindu gods”.

Experts said that the rise of deepfake technology poses a great risk, especially in the realm of politics now. Deepfake algorithms require a significant amount of data to learn and mimic a person's facial expressions, movements, and voice. It is not limited to manipulating videos alone; it can also be applied to audio.

“This data is often collected from various sources, including publicly available videos, images, or even social media profiles. It is essential for users to be vigilant and critical of content they encounter on social media to prevent the spread of false narratives,” said Praveen Kumar Tangella, a cyber expert.