New Publication: The Impact of Deepfakes on Trust in User-Generated Evidence

TRUE PhD candidate Anne recently contributed a piece on "The Impact of Deepfakes on Trust in User-Generated Evidence” to a forthcoming edited collection on “Deepfakes and the Law: Challenges, Consequences, and Critique”. In her chapter, Anne explores the potential dangers deepfakes pose to the use of user-generated evidence, particularly in the documentation of mass atrocities. She highlights three main risks: the difficulty of authenticating content, the "liar’s dividend"– where genuine evidence is dismissed as fake –and the "impostor bias", which fosters general skepticism towards all user-generated material.

Anne finds that allegations of deepfakes have not appeared in trials for international crimes to date, neither in domestic, nor in international courts. A variety of strategies have, however, been employed to challenge the authenticity of user-generated evidence. It is recommended that legal practitioners take steps now – including promoting media literacy, and awareness of deepfake technology, as well as the establishment of robust methodologies – to preserve trust in user-generated evidence.