Rashmika Mandanna Deepfake case: Delhi Police tracks down 4 suspects who uploaded the video, Hunt on for key conspirator

Digital Desk: Police stated on Wednesday that they had tracked down four of the suspects who had uploaded a deepfake video of actor Rashmika Mandana online and that they were still hunting for the primary conspirator. Nevertheless, the police stated that they were still searching for the main conspirator in the case and that the four defendants had been uploaders rather than authors. Based on the information supplied by Meta, the company that owns and runs social media sites including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, three of the four suspects have been located.

The accused allegedly erased and removed material from their accounts, making it hard for authorities to find them, which presented a challenge for the investigation. The primary conspirator behind the post is presently being sought by the cyber specialists of the Delhi Police.

The actor was probably using a false name while uploading the deepfake movies, and utilising a Virtual Private Network (VPN) makes it much harder to find the person who submitted them. A First Information Report (FIR) was filed by the Delhi Police at the Special Cell one month ago about the deepfake AI-generated film featuring actress Rashmika Mandana.

The actress Rashmika Mandana's deepfake video that went viral on social media platforms earlier prompted the Delhi Commission for Women to take legal action. On November 18, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister for Communications, Electronics, and Technology, announced that all social media sites had received notifications instructing them to take the appropriate action to locate and delete such information.

The Delhi Police IFSO (Internet Freedom and Safety for Online Users) section had previously written to Meta, the old Facebook, but the social media platform replied that it was unable to furnish information about the account that had been deactivated. The sources stated that since a comparable profile was also created through GoDaddy, a publicly traded internet domain registration, the police are anticipating a response from the company.

In a media meeting on November 18, Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasised the peril of deepfakes by saying, "Deepfake is a big issue for all of us." All of the major social media platforms received notifications from us lately requesting that they take action to detect and delete deepfakes. The social media networks have answered back. They are doing something about it. They have been instructed to work more aggressively on this project."

On November 6, a modified version of Rashmika Mandanna's video surfaced on the internet, igniting conversations around online safety. A lady who appeared to be actress Rashmika was seen in the viral footage getting into an elevator while decked up in a black bikini. Soon after the video went viral, several social media users verified that it was a deepfake. Regarding her career, Rashmika was most recently seen in Animal.