Deepfake videos impersonating Yanis Varoufakis proliferated on YouTube and social media
Hundreds of deepfake videos featuring economist and politician Yanis Varoufakis's face and voice reportedly appeared on YouTube and social media, depicting him making statements he did not make. Platform removal efforts proved ineffective as videos repeatedly reappeared under different accounts.
What happened
Hundreds of deepfake videos featuring Yanis Varoufakis's face and synthesised voice appeared on YouTube and social media platforms, reportedly depicting him discussing geopolitical topics and events like the coup in Venezuela.
Varoufakis initially contacted Google and Meta to request removal of the videos, with some channels and videos taken down within a week or more, but they reappeared under different guises within days.
Reported impact
The proliferation of deepfake videos depicting Varoufakis caused confusion among supporters who questioned whether he had made the statements, while opponents used them to discredit him.
Some observers argued that the AI-generated versions were more articulate and persuasive than Varoufakis himself.
Governance controls
Google and Meta responded to takedown requests by removing some channels and videos, though removals were temporary as content reappeared under different accounts.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.