Deepfake video targets former Singapore president before general election
A deepfake video of former Singapore President Halimah Yacob allegedly showing her making negative statements about the government circulated online on April 15, 2025. She filed a police report and warned that such deepfakes threaten the fairness of the upcoming May 3 general election.
What happened
A deepfake video of former Singapore President Halimah Yacob circulated online, allegedly showing her making negative statements about the government.
The video reportedly captured her voice. Madam Halimah filed a police report on April 15, 2025, describing the video as 'completely false' and refusing to share it further to prevent wider circulation.
Reported impact
Madam Halimah expressed concern about the timing ahead of the general election scheduled for May 3, 2025, stating: 'This is scary how AI is being used to influence voters during this critical period.'
Governance controls
Madam Halimah urged all parties to 'fight fair' during the election and called on candidates to 'fight on the basis of the strength of your vision and the strength of your candidates' rather than resorting to 'dirty tactics.'
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.