Free tool to counter deepfake content to launch in 2026

A free online tool will be launched in 2026 to help users discern between real and manipulated content via an inspection of its metadata, which are like nutrition labels on food products.

- Sarah Koh

The tool, Provo, is meant for users, including news publishers and content creators, to embed labels in images and videos. The labels can be inspected by anyone using the free Provo browser extension.

Provo is among the first tools unveiled by the Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety (CATOS), set up in 2024 to hone Singapore’s expertise in detecting deepfakes and online misinformation.

Hosted by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the centre will receive $50 million in funding over five years under Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan.

Speaking to The Straits Times, CATOS director Yang Yinping said that people should no longer rely on telltale signs they have been taught in the past to spot deepfakes.

“Unnatural blinking and blurring of the mouth — such tips might have worked in the past. But with the improvement of Al-generation techniques, even the world’s best tools cannot consistently detect these very realistic deepfakes,” said Dr Yang, who is alsoa senior principal scientist at A*STAR’s Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC).

So verifying the source of content with tools such as Provo is a necessary complement to the continuous development of deepfake recognition technology, which she compared to a “never-ending cat-and-mouse game”.