3 Out of 4 Here Can't Identify Deepfake Content, Cyber-Security Survey Shows

Only one in four people here can distinguish between deepfake and legitimate videos, even though a majority say they are confident they can do so.

- Sarah Koh

This is one of the key findings of a survey released on July 2 by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA).

Questions related to deepfakes were included for the first time in the 2024 edition of the Cybersecurity Public Awareness Survey, given the prevalence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools that make it easier to create fake content to scam unsuspecting victims.

A total of 1,050 respondents aged 15 and above were polled in October 2024 on their attitude towards issues such as cyber incidents and mobile security, and adoption of cyber-hygiene practices.

Nearly 80 per cent said they were confident about identifying deepfakes, citing telltale signs such as suspicious content and unsynchronised lip movements.

But only a quarter of respondents could correctly distinguish between deepfake and legitimate videos when they were put to the test.

"With cyber criminals constantly devising new scam tactics, we need to be vigilant, and make it harder for them to scam us," said CSA's chief executive David Koh.

"Always stop and check with trusted sources before taking any action, so that we can protect what is precious to us."