In light of recent social media data breaches, model and actress Mathira has stated that her name and older photos are being misused to create fake content. “People are misusing my name and my photoshoot pictures, adding fake stuff,” she posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, urging others to “keep me out of this trashy nonsense.”
Unverified videos and photos of internet personalities have recently gained traction on social media, sparking mixed reactions. Previously, in 2022, there were audio leaks involving politicians, including former prime minister Imran Khan, which raised ethical concerns among the public.
A screenshot from Mathira’s post dated November 13, 2024, shows digital experts and commentators criticizing the public exposure of private conversations. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi informed the Senate in October that approximately 1,500 WhatsApp accounts in Pakistan have been compromised since July 1. Despite WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption, hackers have been able to access private conversations by exploiting unsecured connections.
On Threads, Mathira clarified that the viral content attributed to her is AI-generated, pointing out that she has tattoos on all her fingers, unlike the person shown. She also mentioned that the alleged video is two years old and that she had previously approached the Federal Investigation Authority about it.
In January, cybersecurity expert Rafay Baloch told that deepfakes are difficult to guard against, though major companies like Facebook and Google are working on detection tools. He explained that deepfakes arise from two competing AI algorithms, one creating the content and another attempting to detect it. He also offered some tips on identifying deepfake videos.