Developer iperov releases DeepFaceLive real-time face-swap AI on GitHub
The developer iperov has published DeepFaceLive, a neural network for real-time face swapping, on GitHub. The tool automatically replaces a user's face in live streams and video calls with a nonexistent model or a celebrity, and the installation instructions are simple. The developer claims 95% of deepfakes on YouTube were made with the related DeepFaceLab. No specific harm is reported, but the article highlights the tool's potential for misuse.
- Company involved
- iperov
- AI system involved
- DeepFaceLive
7 source articles · read the reporting →
Vumacam's AI CCTV system flagged 28 black people as suspicious in Johannesburg suburbs
In Johannesburg suburbs, Vumacam's AI-powered CCTV network using iSentry software flagged 28 black individuals as 'suspicious' in a shift report, according to a 2019 article. The system, deployed by private security firms, uses video analytics to detect abnormal behavior and alerts security guards. The article alleges that the system disproportionately targets people of color, reflecting racial bias in a racially divided country.
- Company involved
- Vumacam
- AI system involved
- iSentry
6 source articles · read the reporting →
AI news presenters James and Rose terminated after two months at Hawaii newspaper
The Garden Island newspaper in Hawaii deployed AI-generated news presenters James and Rose, created by Caledo, to produce video broadcasts. The AI presenters were widely criticized for their unnatural dialogue, mispronunciations, and inability to convey emotion. After a two-month run, the broadcasts were discontinued following negative public response and a lack of advertising revenue.
- Company involved
- Oahu Publications
- AI system involved
- James and Rose
8 source articles · read the reporting →
PimEyes facial recognition search engine identifies individuals from public photos
PimEyes, a Polish facial recognition search engine, allows users to upload a photo and find matching images from across the internet. The system scrapes billions of photos and creates biometric profiles without consent. A banker named Dylan (pseudonym) discovered that an old party photo of him was found by the system, potentially outing his private life. Privacy advocates and platforms like Instagram and YouTube are taking action against PimEyes, alleging violations of the GDPR.
- Company involved
- PimEyes
- AI system involved
- PimEyes
6 source articles · read the reporting →
Deepfake adverts using Barbara O'Neill's likeness promote fake prostate cures
AI-generated deepfake videos impersonating Australian naturopath Barbara O'Neill are circulating on Facebook, falsely endorsing a cure for prostate problems and erectile dysfunction. The videos, which have millions of views, are part of a scam to sell products or phish for personal information. Africa Check found the videos to be deepfakes, with audio out of sync and posted by accounts unaffiliated with O'Neill, who has previously warned about such impersonations.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Tencent launches Zero-Point Cruise facial recognition to enforce night-time game curfew
Tencent has introduced a feature called Zero-Point Cruise in its games, which subjects accounts registered as adults that play at night beyond a set time to facial recognition. Anyone who refuses or fails the verification is treated as a minor and logged out. Tencent says this is intended to stop children using adult identities to evade the game curfew, and that adults who mistakenly refuse can wait for the next authentication.
- Company involved
- Tencent
- AI system involved
- 零点巡航 (Zero-Point Cruise)
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Buenos Aires city government uses live facial recognition to track minors in criminal database
The Buenos Aires city government deployed a live facial recognition system in April 2019 that scans subway passengers and matches them against CONARC, a national database of alleged offenders. Human Rights Watch found that the database includes at least 166 children, some as young as one to three years old, and that the system has led to numerous false arrests. The system was implemented without public consultation, and there is no mechanism to correct mistakes. A civil rights organization filed a lawsuit, and the government is pushing a bill to legalize the technology.
- Company involved
- Buenos Aires city government
1 source article · read the reporting →
Telangana Police facial recognition error leads to wrongful arrest and custodial death
Mohammed Khadeer, a 35-year-old man from Medak, was arrested by Telangana Police after a facial recognition system falsely matched his face to a suspect in a chain-snatching case. He was allegedly subjected to custodial torture and later died in hospital on 18 February 2023. The police acknowledged the error and released him after verifying his innocence, but he had already suffered severe injuries. The incident has raised concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability in the use of facial recognition technology by the police.
- Company involved
- Telangana Police
- AI system involved
- Telangana Police Facial Recognition System
1 source article · read the reporting →
Man uses AI face-swap to steal 15,996 yuan from financial accounts, sentenced to 4.5 years
A man in Jiangsu, China, illegally purchased 1.95 million personal records and used AI face-swapping software to bypass facial recognition on financial platforms. He accessed 23 victims' accounts, changed five passwords, and used one account to buy two phones worth 15,996 yuan. He was convicted of infringing citizens' personal information and credit card fraud, sentenced to four years and six months in prison, and ordered to pay damages and delete the data.
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Bahia Facial Recognition System Misidentifies Black Man as Wanted Criminal
Davi, a black administrative assistant, was tracked across 15 metro stations and approached by police after Bahia's facial recognition system falsely matched him to a wanted person. He was released after officers verified his identity. The system, supplied by Iecisa and Huawei, has a low accuracy rate and disproportionately affects black people. The government plans to expand it despite concerns over racial bias and errors.
- Company involved
- Secretaria de Segurança Pública da Bahia
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Clearview AI facial recognition app scrapes billions of images and is used by police
Clearview AI, a secretive start-up, built a facial recognition app that matches photos to a database of more than three billion images scraped from social media and websites. More than 600 law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, have used the tool to identify suspects in crimes such as shoplifting, identity theft and murder. The company monitored officers who ran a reporter's photo through the app, and its founder acknowledged designing an augmented-reality prototype but said there were no plans to release it. Critics warned the tool could end anonymity and enable misuse.
- Company involved
- Clearview AI
- AI system involved
- Clearview AI facial recognition app
2 source articles · read the reporting →
AI Deepfake Scam Impersonating Andy Lau Costs Fan NT$2.64 Million
A 62-year-old woman in New Taipei City was deceived by scammers using AI face-changing technology to impersonate Hong Kong star Andy Lau. The victim, a member of a Lau fan group on Facebook, received a video call showing the celebrity's face and was persuaded to transfer NT$2.64 million. Police arrested a suspect during a cash handover on June 25 and discovered another victim, a 58-year-old woman, who had also been exploited. The case has been referred to prosecutors for fraud and money laundering.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Xuhui police expand facial recognition surveillance to profile 1.1 million residents
The Xuhui District branch of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Security is expanding its Intelligent Image Recognition System, adding 2,500 facial recognition cameras and increased computing capacity to build profiles of residents and flag deviations. The project, contracted to US-sanctioned FiberHome, is designed to match each face to files on more than 50 million people. Officials say the system will analyse behaviour patterns and trigger early warnings.
- Company involved
- Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Security, Xuhui District Branch
- AI system involved
- Intelligent Image Recognition System
3 source articles · read the reporting →
AI-generated video falsely shows scientist endorsing heart disease remedy
A Facebook page published an AI-generated video impersonating US-based Nigerian scientist Samuel Achilefu and a TVC News presenter to promote a fake heart disease remedy called Cordis. The video falsely claimed the product could revitalise blood vessels and stabilise blood pressure. Achilefu denied involvement and reported the video to the FBI. AFP Fact Check found the video was created using AI and the product's manufacturer denied producing it.
- Company involved
- Mohammad Al-Hamdan
2 source articles · read the reporting →
AI-generated video falsely promotes hypertension cure using Nigerian celebrities
A deepfake video on Facebook used AI to impersonate Nigerian actor Taiwo Ajai-Lycett and doctor Chinonso Egemba, falsely claiming they endorsed a hypertension cure. The video, viewed over 98,000 times, is entirely fabricated; no such product exists. Africa Check debunked the video, noting the machine-generated voices and lack of any credible reports. The celebrities have previously denied similar fake endorsements.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Macau police warn of deepfake video impersonating Chief Executive in investment scam
The Macau Judiciary Police warned the public about a deepfake video circulating on social media that used AI to impersonate Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai. The manipulated footage falsely showed him endorsing fraudulent investment platforms. No victims have yet reported losses, but authorities urged caution against such scams. The police are monitoring online platforms and working with other authorities to trace the fraud networks.
2 source articles · read the reporting →
NYPD Facial Recognition Leads to Wrongful Arrest of Trevis Williams
In April 2025, Trevis Williams was arrested by the NYPD after a facial recognition program matched his mug shot to a suspect in a February flashing incident, despite an eight-inch height difference and alibi evidence. The victim identified him from the AI-suggested photo array. Mr. Williams spent over two days in jail before the case was dismissed in July. The incident highlights the risks of using facial recognition on low-quality surveillance images.
- Company involved
- New York Police Department
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Dahua Exposed for Uyghur Tracking Software in Surveillance Systems
Dahua Technology's publicly available SDK was found to contain code for detecting Uyghur ethnicity, enabling Chinese police to covertly track the persecuted minority. The revelation led to widespread criticism, and Dahua removed the SDK after being contacted by IPVM but did not comment. The company had previously been sanctioned by the US for complicity in human rights abuses against Uyghurs, and its software is part of a massive surveillance apparatus in Xinjiang.
- Company involved
- Dahua Technology
- AI system involved
- Dahua SDK
1 source article · read the reporting →
Apple sued for $1 billion after facial recognition allegedly misidentifies teen as thief
Ousmane Bah, an 18-year-old student, alleges that Apple and its security firm used facial recognition software to incorrectly identify him as a shoplifter in multiple Apple Store thefts. He was arrested at his home and missed school, causing emotional distress and academic harm. While charges in New York and Boston were dropped after a detective noted Bah looked nothing like the suspect, a case in New Jersey remains pending. Apple denies using facial recognition in its stores, but the lawsuit claims the technology was used by its security contractor.
- Company involved
- Apple
5 source articles · read the reporting →
France uses AI to monitor mask-wearing on public transport
France has deployed AI software from startup DatakaLab in the Paris metro to check if passengers are wearing face masks. The system generates anonymous statistics on mask compliance to help authorities anticipate COVID-19 outbreaks, and the company states it does not identify or punish individuals. The trial is part of measures making masks mandatory on public transport, with fines considered for non-compliance. Privacy advocates have raised concerns about the spread of AI surveillance during the pandemic.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Las Vegas police used unsuitable facial recognition images in nearly half of searches
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) used 'non-suitable' probe images in 451 of 924 facial recognition searches in 2019, greatly increasing the risk of false identifications. The system, supplied by Vigilant Solutions, returned likely matches in only 18% of those searches, yet led to arrests in at least 73 cases. Critics and researchers warn this practice heightens the chance of wrongful arrests, and one defence attorney said he was never informed facial recognition was used to identify his client.
- Company involved
- Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
- AI system involved
- Vigilant Solutions facial recognition system
1 source article · read the reporting →
NYPD Used Facial Recognition to Target Black Lives Matter Activist Derrick Ingram
The NYPD used facial recognition technology to identify Derrick Ingram, a 28-year-old Black Lives Matter activist, leading to a raid on his Hell's Kitchen apartment by over 50 officers on 7 August 2020. The NYPD's Facial Identification Section generated a lead from a photo taken from Ingram's Instagram page, despite the department's policy of using only surveillance video or arrest photos. Ingram's attorney alleges the five-hour siege was an intimidation campaign that interfered with his constitutional rights. The NYPD acknowledged using facial recognition as a limited investigative tool.
- Company involved
- NYPD
- AI system involved
- Facial Identification Section
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Delhi Government uses facial recognition on children in government schools
The Delhi Government's Education Department is using facial recognition technology in conjunction with CCTV cameras in government schools, according to responses to RTI requests filed by the Internet Freedom Foundation. The organisation urged the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights to intervene, alleging that the practice violates children's right to privacy and education under the Indian Constitution. No specific incident of harm has been reported, but the organisation warns of potential misidentification and disproportionate penalties.
- Company involved
- Government of NCT of Delhi, Education Department
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Macy's and Sunglass Hut facial recognition misidentifies man, leading to wrongful jailing
Harvey Eugene Murphy Jr was misidentified by facial recognition software used by Sunglass Hut and Macy's as the perpetrator of an armed robbery. He was arrested and jailed, where he alleges he was beaten and raped. His alibi was later confirmed and charges were dropped. He is suing the companies for $10 million in damages.
- Company involved
- Macy's and EssilorLuxottica
3 source articles · read the reporting →
