Officials today warned people against sharing a deepfake video of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) discrediting his party that has gone viral on TikTok.
The original video is from a DPP caucus news conference during which Ker spoke, but edited so that the audio and subtitles have him saying “under the DPP, Taiwan will be in the dark.”
Last night, Ker issued a statement clarifying that the video is fake, adding that he would seek to file a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Bureau and Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office.
Photo: CNA
At a Legislative Yuan meeting today, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said that police suspect the video could have originated abroad.
People in Taiwan are rational and can differentiate between the truth and videos meant to brainwash them, Liu said.
Going back to former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) time in office, officials have tried to warn Taiwanese about the dangers of spreading misinformation.
Ker and fellow DPP legislator Wang Yi-chuan (王義川), who also had a deepfake video made of himself, went to the prosecutors’ office today to sue those who spread the video.
The lawsuit is to defend the constitutional system and stand for the nation’s security, Ker said, adding that the situation is part of a larger plan by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to “sell” the country out.
The video is clearly fake, Wang said of his deepfake, as it lacks the Taiwanese words he normally uses and has incorrect terms for some items.
The videos have circulated among KMT groups online, and he has screenshots of the messages, Wang added.
Investigators accepted Ker’s case and would look into the origins of the video, National Police Agency Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) said.
The public should avoid sharing it further to avoid contravening the law, Chang added.
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