WeChat Cracks Down On Advertisement Scams That Use Deepfakes To Impersonate Public Figures

Tencent’s WeChat, the widely used social media platform, has pledged to intensify its crackdown on a growing wave of advertising scams that exploit generative artificial intelligence to create deepfake videos.

In an announcement on Sunday, WeChat outlined targeted measures against content that misuses AI to impersonate public figures for misleading marketing campaigns and traffic generation. The platform reported the removal of 532 instances of such content and the suspension of 209 accounts involved in creating these deepfake promotional videos.

WeChat emphasized its commitment to enhancing its technological oversight to safeguard platform integrity, urging content creators to adhere to established regulations and platform policies. The platform has promised to continue strengthening its governance capabilities and maintain a healthy ecosystem.

Using Deepfake to impersonate prominent figures

The crackdown comes amid growing scrutiny of deepfake video content, particularly its use to impersonate public figures for fraudulent promotions.

Chinese infectious disease expert Zhang Wenhong, a trusted figure during the pandemic, was seen on Wechat promoting protein bars. Zhang later denied his involvement, expressing that such misleading and malicious contents are concerning and he had filed multiple complaints against the company.

Similarly, Raymond Wong Pak-ming, a prominent Hong Kong actor and filmmaker, found himself in a similar situation. There was also a deepfake video of him endorsing an unidentified ointment, which circulated on Wechat.

Wong wrote on his Weibo account, "This behavior is purely fraudulent and aimed at deceiving the public for profit."

Tightening of regulations towards deepfake

The rising prevalence of deepfake technology has prompted Chinese regulators to impose stricter measures. The Administrative Provisions on Deep Synthesis for Internet Information Service, implemented in 2023, mandate explicit labelling and traceability of AI-altered content.

Building on these regulations, new 2024 guidelines propose even stricter oversight, requiring platforms to identify and regulate all AI-generated content they distribute.

Earlier this month, China’s state broadcasting authority directed short video platforms, including ByteDance’s Douyin (China’s TikTok equivalent) and Kuaishou, to remove “peculiar adaptations” of classic films or TV shows produced using deepfake technology.

As platforms like WeChat step up enforcement, the battle against AI-driven content manipulation highlights broader challenges posed by generative AI in maintaining trust and safeguarding digital ecosystems.