Deepfakes are image and video forgeries produced using artificial intelligence (AI). They are primarily used to spread (political) disinformation, but also to manipulate digital proof of identity. With the expansion of digital identification procedures, incidences of deepfake-based fraud are increasingly targeting private individuals. The FAKE-ID project is developing legal and ethical standards that can be used to identify and classify manipulated images and video data streams. In doing so, it lays the foundations for the development of a detection program that can in turn use AI to assess the (presumed) authenticity of digital images and videos or their forgery.

This FÖPS sub-project deals with the legal, ethical and societal requirements for the development of an AI-based detection programs used by police. Among other topics, this project addresses ethical issues in the use of machine learning necessary for the development of the system; transparency, traceability, and responsibilities of decisions made with the help of “weak AI”; legal and ethical requirements for the usability of detection results in legal proceedings; and protection against exclusively automated decisions, as provided for in Art. 22 of the EU Data Protection Regulation. To this end, FÖPS is working closely with governmental and private information technology institutions to design the AI-based detector from the ground up, in accordance with the principles of Privacy by Design and by Default in a privacy-compliant manner. In the spirit of participatory research, FÖPS is also seeking to create an in-depth discussion with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are focused on the dangers of AI use in a security context.

In addition to HWR Berlin, the FAKE-ID consortium is made up of Bundesdruckerei GmbH (lead of consortium), Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) and BioID GmbH (BIOID). Associated partnerships exist with the Central Office for Information Technology in the Security Sector (ZITiS), the State Criminal Police Offices of Berlin and Saxony-Anhalt, the Deutsche Post DHL Group (DP), the Cybersecurity Network Saxony-Anhalt, and the University of Applied Sciences for Administration and Services (FHVD).

The overall project is funded by the BMBF as part of the thematic area “Artificial Intelligence in Civil Security Research”. Prof. Dr. Hartmut Aden and Prof. Dr. Sabrina Schönrock head the FÖPS subproject.