Former chairman of the government, Múte B. Egede (IA), is the main character in a new fake video, which flourishes on social media.
A fake video of the former chairman of the Greenlandic Parliament, Múte Bourup Egede (IA), promising financial gain, is currently spreading on social media.
In the video, Múte Bourup Egede is allegedly interviewed by an American journalist in English. The video is presented as “breaking news” with the caption: “This statement shook the country: This is how it will affect everyone.”
“This statement shook the country: This is how it will affect everyone.”
In the video, Múte Bourup Egede says that the government’s investment platform guarantees a weekly salary of 890 euros.
The problem is that the interview never took place. The video was generated by artificial intelligence.
According to Signe Ravn-Højgaard, director of the think tank Digital Infrastructure, it can be difficult to spot what is real and what is computer-generated. That’s why you need to be critical online.
– The technologies are so good and are constantly improving. You have to check whether videos that are stated to be from official senders, for example the Greenlandic government, are also found in other official places, says Signe Ravn-Højgaard, who has researched Greenland’s communication channels.
She continues:
– It could be the Greenland Government’s website or verified social media accounts. However, right now it does not appear that Greenland Government has verified their social media accounts to a very high degree.
Verified social media accounts are profiles that have been approved to represent an authentic person or business.
These accounts typically have a blue check mark next to their name, which helps users identify real profiles from fake or impersonated profiles. The Greenland Police, for example, has a verified Facebook page.
Falsk Tik Tok profile
A TikTok profile has also been created that pretends to be official communication from naalakkersuisut. The profile is called @naalakkersuisut and has just over 900 followers. And it has naalakkersuisut’s official logo – the polar bear – as its profile picture.
Several of the videos contain incorrect information or fake quotes. Yet they are made with such high quality that it can look real to the naked eye.
– We do not know who is behind these accounts, and in principle it could be anyone, as it is becoming easier and easier to make deep fakes. There could therefore be different motives at play. The videos could be made to destabilize, confuse and blur the line between truth and falsehood in Greenland. Or it could be to influence attitudes about Greenland or in Greenland, says Signe Ravn-Højgaard.
deep fakes