The emergence of deepfakes, facilitated by advancements in artificial intelligence, introduces new means for disseminating mis- and disinformation. These emerging methods of spreading mis- and disinformation exploit the broad accessibility of deepfake generation tools and pose a compounded challenge when considering the rapid rate at which information travels and the growing reliance on social media for news. This working paper delves into strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of deepfakes while simultaneously highlighting the measures that various actors, including states, social media platforms and tech companies, are taking to tackle this issue. Deepfake mitigations span across four different areas: legislative and regulatory measures, social media policies, technological tools and societal resilience. The paper’s final section proposes policy recommendations covering these four categories. Central to these recommendations is the recognition that addressing deepfakes necessitates a collaborative approach, wherein multiple sectors work together synergistically to craft a robust response.
