Deepfake videos exploit Bangladeshi figures in Facebook gambling ads

Social media platforms, particularly Facebook, are facing criticism for allowing sophisticated gambling advertisements targeting Bangladeshi users.

According to a report by Dismislab, these ads now employ deepfake videos and audio, significantly enhancing their ability to lure viewers.

Advertisers are leveraging artificial intelligence tools to create fake TV news reports and fabricated speeches from prominent political figures to promote gambling apps. Since September, Dismislab has identified nine deepfake videos used in over 140 Facebook ads. These ads falsely claim that Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, endorses and invests in gambling apps.

In one deepfake video, Muhammad Yunus is falsely depicted promoting gambling apps. Others exploit recent political events, falsely claiming Yunus legalised online casinos and increased winnings. This narrative is entirely fabricated but crafted to appear credible.

The ads have also manipulated footage and logos of respected Bangladeshi television channels, including “Somoy TV” and “Channel 24”, to mimic authentic news reports. For instance, one video falsely portrays a Channel 24 news anchor saying, “Severe floods have struck Bangladesh. The Yunus Foundation and Bangar Social Casino have allocated five million takas to support the victims.” Upon verification, Channel 24 confirmed the footage was doctored, and anchor Tanveer Ahmed revealed his videos had been used to create these deepfakes.

Another fake ad claims, “Sheikh Hasina will get an extra jail term for understating casino winnings. Muhammad Yunus has now legalised online casinos.” Such fabricated statements are presented alongside logos of trusted media outlets, further misleading viewers.

These ads not only misinform but also violate several policies. Bangladesh’s High Court has banned online gambling advertisements, and Meta’s policies prohibit gambling ads targeting users in Bangladesh. However, Dismislab found that Meta’s ad review system has failed to detect these violations. Many of these ads also evade Meta’s political ad transparency requirements, disappearing quickly after running and limiting opportunities to verify their false claims.

Dismislab previously reported similar campaigns using manipulated images of cricket stars like Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, as well as logos of reputed news media outlets.

Commenting on the issue, Apurba Jahangir, deputy press secretary to Muhammad Yunus, said, “All these videos are fake, and we want to draw Meta’s attention to these matters.”