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Assam Floods: Fake Videos Flood Social Media
29 Jul
Summary
- At least 68 people have died due to the severe floods in Assam.
- Synthetic media detectors flagged videos with unnatural movements and features.
- One viral video was identified as staged by an Instagram content creator.
Assam is currently experiencing its most severe flooding in years, a crisis complicated by the proliferation of misinformation online. At least 68 individuals have lost their lives due to the devastating floods. Amidst the real tragedy, social media platforms are being inundated with fabricated videos claiming to depict the flood situation.
Investigations into several viral videos have uncovered that they are not authentic representations of the Assam floods. One such video, showing people on submerged rooftops with ducks swimming nearby, exhibited numerous inconsistencies. AI detection tools identified it as synthetic media, noting unnatural limb movements and the absence of ripples from the ducks.
Another concerning video, purportedly showing a child witnessing a family drowning, also contained anomalies. This footage, when analyzed, displayed unnatural camera work and distortions, including a child's feet merging with a mother's body. AI detection indicated this video was AI-generated.
Furthermore, a video circulating with claims of showing deceased women from the floods was found to be staged. A watermark on the video led to an Instagram account known for posting dramatic, fabricated content, indicating the video was not related to the actual flood disaster.
