UK public unaware of deepfake threat, research from iProov reveals

The research polled 2,000 respondents across the UK and revealed that almost three-quarters (72%) of the respondents never even heard of a deepfake video, with more than two-thirds (70%) confessing they did not believe they would be able to tell the difference between a deepfake and a real video.

The technology behind deepfakes is threatening to undermine the notion of trust in moving images and is becoming increasingly accessible - be it through the creation of fake news, spoofing the identity checks required to log into a bank account, or even in revenge pornography.

Once those surveyed were provided with a definition of a deepfake video, they began to recognise the technology’s mounting threat. In fact, just under two-thirds (65%) of people said that their newfound knowledge of the existence of deepfakes undermined their trust in the internet.

Notably, consumers went on to cite identity theft as the biggest concern (42%) for how they believed deepfake technology could be misused. Overall, the results highlight a need for awareness and education on the impact of deepfakes which, if not addressed, will have large implications on personal and professional security.