Maharashtra Cyber on Sunday said it has detained several individuals and issued notices in connection with the circulation of a deepfake video involving popular YouTuber Payal Gaming. The cybercrime unit added that those involved were made to issue public apologies.
Announcing the development in an Instagram post, Maharashtra Cyber said it had successfully detected and acted against those responsible for uploading and circulating the objectionable content. “Several uploaders have been apprehended, served notices, and have issued public apologies. We have also identified one of the first uploaders of the content, who will be apprehended soon,” the post read.
The agency reiterated its commitment to taking strict action against misuse of technology and violations of the law. The post also included images of the offenders and videos of their apologies.
In one such video, an accused identified as Abhishek Jadaun apologised for sharing the link to the deepfake video on his Instagram story without verification. He said he had been counselled by Maharashtra Cyber and acknowledged that his actions harmed the reputation of the YouTuber. He expressed regret and assured that he would not repeat such behaviour in the future.
Maharashtra Cyber said further action will continue against others involved in the case.
About viral video:
Last month, an intimate video of a couple went viral on social media, with claims that the girl seen in the video was YouTuber Payal Gaming. However, a section of netizens came out in support of Payal, stating that the girl in the leaked MMS was not her and questioning the authenticity of the video, calling it AI-generated.
After the video went viral, Payal issued a statement clarifying that the individual in the clip was not her and said she would take legal action against those who misused her identity.
