SM Lee warns public against deepfake videos of him commenting on international matters
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SM Lee said that creators of such deepfakes want to make it seem that the views expressed within these videos are supported by him or the Singapore government.
PHOTO: LEE HSIEN LOONG/FACEBOOK
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SINGAPORE – Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong has warned people to be wary of videos of him supposedly commenting on matters, including international relations and foreign leaders, as they may be deepfakes.
In a Facebook post on June 27, SM Lee said: “The motive of these deepfakes may not be commercial, but their malicious intent is clear.”
He said creators of such deepfakes want to make it seem that the views expressed in these videos are supported by him or the Singapore Government, which is “dangerous and potentially harmful to our national interests”.
SM Lee also urged people who come across such videos online to always check if they are real.
“Don’t share them, not even to tell people that they are fake, as viewers may not read your comment and wrongly assume that the videos are real,” he added.
Instead, he advised people to report these videos directly on the respective platform app they appear on.
SM Lee said authentic videos of him can be found on the Prime Minister’s Office YouTube channel and website, or other official media sites.
His post also included screenshots of deepfake videos of him uploaded onto social media platform TikTok.
In a statement on June 28, a TikTok spokesperson said the platform is aware of these videos and has taken action to remove them.
“We have strict policies in place to remove misleading AI-generated content from our platform, which include falsely showing public figures in certain contexts like being bullied, taking a position on a political issue, commercial product, or a matter of public importance, making an endorsement, or being endorsed,” said the spokesperson.
This comes a day after Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat warned in a Facebook post of a malicious scammer sending e-mails in his name.
“Stay vigilant, and ignore any e-mails if you are unable to verify the sender’s identity.
“Be careful when clicking on links and opening attachments from non-official sources,” he said.
He reminded people that government officials will not ask for personal information such as personal identification numbers, one-time passwords, and bank account details over e-mail.
Phishing is one of the top online scams in Singapore designed to trick victims into handing over money or data, he added.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit /
Such incidents can also be reported via the ScamShield Bot on WhatsApp at go.gov.sg/scamshield-bot
