October 08, 2025
What is deepfake? And how to protect your digital identity in 2025
From fake videos to altered audio, deepfakes seem to be popping up everywhere - and they’re likely here to stay. Learn about the risks of AI-generated media and how to protect yourself in 2025.
You’re scrolling through social media when you see a video of a celebrity endorsing a cryptocurrency investment that seems too good to be true. The video looks legitimate – same voice, same mannerisms, same background you’d expect. But something in your gut tells you to pause before clicking that investment link. Why is that a good thing? Your instinct might just have saved you from being duped by a deepfake.
The basics: what’s deepfake?
Deepfake technology refers to media created using artificial intelligence and when a person’s likeness, voice, or both are convincingly replaced or manipulated. The term combines “deep learning” (a type of AI) and “fake,” to perfectly capture what the technology does.
What are deepfake images and videos?
Unlike simple photo editing, deepfakes use sophisticated AI to create seamless, realistic content that can be extremely difficult to detect.
These aren’t just slightly touched-up photos. We’re talking about completely fabricated videos where someone appears to say or do things they never actually did. The technology can:
- Swap faces between people in videos;
- Make someone appear to speak words they never said;
- Create entirely fictional people who look completely real; and
- Generate realistic audio of someone’s voice from just a few samples.
How does deepfake technology work? From early experiments to today’s technology
At its core, deepfake technology relies on machine learning models called Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). Think of GANs as two AI systems working against each other: one creates fake content while the other tries to detect if said content is real or fake. They learn from each other, with the creator getting progressively better at fooling the detector.
Early deepfake experiments required extensive technical and digital know-how. But today’s tools have democratized the capability – free voice cloning software searches increased by 120 per cent between 2023 and 2024 making these programs accessible to anyone and everyone.
The process of creating a deepfake typically involves:
- Training the AI to recognize images/audio samples of a targeted person;
- Teaching the system to understand their facial movements, expressions, and voice patterns; and
- Generating new content that convincingly mimics the target’s appearance or voice.
How deepfake technology affects your digital identity
Impact on personal privacy and security
Deepfakes can pose unprecedented threats to personal privacy. Your photos and videos, once considered relatively safe when shared online, can now be used against you. Criminals can use your social media content to create convincing fake videos or audio recordings without your knowledge or consent.
Financial fraud and identity theft concerns
The financial implications of deepfake technology are severe. Deepfakes enable sophisticated financial fraud through:
- Fake video calls from “bank managers” requesting account access;
- Impersonation of financial advisors recommending fraudulent investments;
- Voice cloning to authorize fraudulent transactions over the phone; and
- Creation of fake identity documents for loan applications.
How to protect yourself from deepfake threats
Learn how to spot a deepfake
Learning how to spot deepfake content is a critical skill. While some fakes are incredibly sophisticated, many still exhibit subtle flaws that can alert a discerning observer.
Visual and audio warning signs
Visual cues to watch for:
- Unnatural eye movements or lack of blinking;
- Awkward facial expressions that don’t match the emotion being conveyed;
- Blurring or distortion around the edges of faces;
- Skin that appears too smooth or doesn’t match the person’s age;
- Strange lighting or shadows that don’t align with the rest of the scene; and
- Poor lip-syncing with speech.
Audio red flags include:
- Robotic or monotone speech patterns;
- Inconsistent background noise;
- Audio quality that doesn’t match the video quality; and
- Speech that seems disconnected from natural breathing patterns.
Using AI detection tools effectively
Several AI detection tools are available to help identify deepfakes, though they’re not foolproof. These tools analyze technical aspects of media files that human eyes might miss.
Best practices for personal protection
- Be cautious about sharing high-quality photos and videos of you, your friends, or family members online;
- If you receive a request to do something from a friend or family member, contact them directly to see if the outreach is real;
- Set your social media accounts (and their privacy settings) to private; and
- Stay informed about emerging deepfake threats and detection methods by reading up about them online.
Securing financial and insurance information
- Never authorize financial transactions from someone based on video or audio calls;
- Always verify transfer requests through your bank’s official channels (phone or email) before taking action;
- Use multi-factor authentication on all of your financial accounts;
- Be skeptical of urgent requests (regardless of who they’re from), especially those involving money transfers; and
- Contact your financial institution directly if you receive suspicious communications from anyone.
Steps to report suspicious activity
If you encounter deepfake content or suspect you've been targeted:
- Report suspected fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre;
- Contact local police for criminal matters;
- Report fake content to relevant platforms; and
If you receive suspicious communications claiming to be from a financial institution, contact them immediately.
Remember, in an age where seeing and hearing are no longer believing, staying informed about both the applications and implications of deepfake technology is essential for navigating our digital future.
This article is meant to provide general information only. It does not provide legal, accounting, taxation, or other professional advice. Please seek advice from a qualified professional, including a thorough examination of your specific legal, accounting and tax situation.