Let’s stop deepfakes damaging our democracy

It’s becoming impossible to tell what’s real and what’s fake online. In November, an audio clip of London Mayor Sadiq Khan making inflammatory remarks about Remembrance Day went viral. Except it didn’t actually happen. Sadiq Khan never said those words. It was a deepfake, created using AI to spread misinformation about a key political figure ahead of an election.

But nothing happened. The Electoral Commission issued a warning that it has no powers to tackle deepfake content. And the Metropolitan Police said that no criminal offence had taken place – even though legal advice commissioned by Good Law Project shows that spreading deepfakes to influence elections could be illegal.

It’s simply not good enough. We’re just months away from a UK general election and we need urgent action. Truth and democracy are at stake.

It’s time for action from those with the power to stop the spread of political deepfakes – including the Crown Prosecution Service, Ofcom, the Metropolitan Police and the Electoral Commission.

Join us in calling for action against political deepfakes and bolster your support by pledging that, as a citizen, you will never create or knowingly share them.

Let’s take action to defend truth and democracy.