China cracks down on AI deepfakes of public figures in live-streams

BEIJING, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese cyberspace authorities said on Friday they were cracking down on the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated deepfakes to impersonate public figures in live-streaming e-commerce, targeting false propaganda and online infringement.

The Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement that authorities had recently "severely dealt with" several online accounts that used AI to mimic celebrities to promote products in live-streams and short videos, misleading users.

The regulator said online platforms have been urged to launch a cleanup, which has so far removed over 8,700 pieces of non-compliant content and dealt with more than 11,000 accounts that impersonated others.

Cyberspace authorities would maintain a "high-pressure" stance, continuing to hold platforms accountable and to "dispose of and expose" malicious marketing accounts to maintain a positive online environment, it added.