Brazilian Government Demands Removal of AI-Generated Fake Video of Finance Minister
Brazil's government demanded removal of an AI-generated deepfake video showing Finance Minister Fernando Haddad falsely announcing nonexistent taxes on social media. Meta removed the content after an official notice, and the video now displays a synthetic media warning on Instagram.
What happened
A video manipulated using artificial intelligence circulated on Meta platforms showing Brazil's Finance Minister Fernando Haddad making false statements about new taxes on pet ownership, prenatal services, and sports betting prizes.
The Advocacia-Geral da União (AGU) sent an extrajudicial notice to Meta on January 9, 2025, demanding removal of the video within 24 hours, arguing it contained fraudulent information with false attributions to the minister and violated the platform's terms of use and community standards regarding interference with political processes.
The AGU's analysis identified telltale signs of artificial manipulation including abrupt cuts, visible changes in lip movement, and discrepancies in voice timbre typical of generative AI-created content.
Reported impact
The fake video was designed to confuse the public about the Finance Minister's actual positions on matters of public interest regarding taxation policy.
Governance controls
Meta removed the video from its platforms following the AGU's notification, and the content on Instagram now displays a warning indicating it was generated by artificial intelligence.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.