Telangana polls: BRS alleges use of 'deepfake' technology by Congress

The BRS in Telangana has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) against the Congress alleging that the party used 'deepfake' technology to create fabricated content, targeting BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao and other prominent party leaders and candidates contesting in the Assembly elections in the state.

In the complaint addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner, Telangana Chief Electoral Officer and state DGP on Wednesday, the BRS said reliable sources have provided information indicating that the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) was "involved" in the creation and dissemination of "fake audio and video" content through the use of 'deepfake' technology and artificial intelligence.

The fabricated content features prominent leaders of BRS, including KCR, K T Rama Rao, Minister Harish Rao, MLC K Kavitha and other contesting candidates of the party, it said.

The BRS sought immediate action against the alleged unlawful use of technology by the TPCC.

"We anticipate that this manipulated content is likely to be circulated across various social media platforms. We urge you to take necessary actions to identify and restrain the TPCC and its various legal, non-legal and invisible handlers from creating and disseminating such misleading content in media format, including but not limited to image, videos and memes," the BRS complaint read.

Kavitha, in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, said "Dear voters, let's stay vigilant! Desperate parties are peddling fake news in Telangana! Don't let fake news sway your decisions. Verify information before believing or sharing. Our democracy thrives on informed choices, not misinformation".