India TV chairman targeted with deepfake videos promoting fake medicines
India TV Chairman Rajat Sharma reported that deepfake videos of him are being used to promote diabetes, weight loss and pain medicines he does not endorse. He filed complaints with Delhi Police's cyber crime cell and the Delhi High Court, and appealed to the public to help identify and report such fake content.
What happened
Deepfake videos of India TV Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma are being circulated online to promote diabetes, weight loss and knee pain medicines. The videos use AI technology to swap Sharma's likeness and create synthetic audio mimicking his voice, which he does not actually control or endorse.
Reported impact
Sharma stated that people use deepfakes of him to sell fake medicines, causing reputational damage and consumer deception. He noted that when one fake video is removed, another appears, sometimes also featuring other public figures like Amitabh Bachchan and Dr Naresh Trehan.
Governance controls
Sharma filed a complaint with Delhi Police's cyber crime cell and a case in the Delhi High Court against the fake content on social media. He publicly appealed for help identifying deepfakes by asking the public to report sightings to a contact number.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.