Title: Finance Minister Sitharaman Denies Partnership with Quantum Trade in Viral Deepfake Video
In a recent incident, a deepfake video featuring Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has gone viral on Facebook, falsely announcing a partnership between the Indian government and a cryptocurrency trading platform called Quantum Trade. However, fact-checking organization BOOM has discovered that the video is digitally altered and employs voice cloning technology. Furthermore, there is no credible evidence of Sitharaman making any announcements regarding such a collaboration.
The manipulated 1-minute video shows Sitharaman endorsing the benefits of Quantum Trade and how it can empower economically weaker sections of society to accumulate wealth. However, her original statement, as revealed through thorough investigation, pertains to a press conference addressing the government’s relief efforts for the floods in Tamil Nadu. This discrepancy indicates the intentional manipulation of the video to spread false information.
BOOM conducted a reverse image search on key frames from the viral video and discovered an Instagram post on Sitharaman’s verified account dating back to December 22, 2023. The resemblance between the photo in the post and the viral video was striking, and the caption clearly indicated that it was related to the Tamil Nadu flood relief press conference held in New Delhi.
Intrigued by this finding, BOOM located the full video of the press conference on YouTube. The 56-minute livestream, titled ‘Press Conference by Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Govt. Efforts for Tamil Nadu flood relief,’ confirmed that Sitharaman primarily spoke in Tamil during the conference, unlike the deepfake video in which she spoke in English. This further reinforced the belief that the viral video was manipulated.
Additional research failed to yield any news reports or credible information regarding Sitharaman’s alleged partnership announcement with Quantum Trade. Moreover, the link provided in the viral post directed users to a fake interview of Elon Musk endorsing the same platform, which was proven to be false upon further investigation.
It is important to note that BOOM has previously debunked several other deepfake videos featuring prominent figures such as Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani, Alia Bhatt, and Katrina Kaif. These videos falsely claimed to showcase these individuals endorsing financial schemes or investment opportunities.
The circulation of deepfake videos is a serious concern, as they can be used to spread misinformation and deceive the public. It is crucial for individuals to verify the authenticity of such videos before believing or sharing them. Misleading content can have far-reaching consequences and can harm the reputation of individuals and organizations.
In response to this incident, Finance Minister Sitharaman has denied any partnership with Quantum Trade and condemned the spread of deepfake videos. The government and relevant authorities are urged to take strict actions to combat the creation and dissemination of such false content to protect the public from falling victim to misinformation and potential scams.
In conclusion, the viral deepfake video featuring Finance Minister Sitharaman endorsing a partnership with Quantum Trade is a digitally altered piece of content designed to deceive viewers. The video has been proven to be a manipulation, and Sitharaman has not made any announcements regarding such a collaboration. It is crucial for users to exercise caution and verify the authenticity of videos before sharing them to prevent the spread of misinformation.
