Deepfake Controversy Surrounding Kamala Harris’ Campaign

Deepfake Controversy Surrounding Kamala Harris

The rise of deepfake technology has entered a troubling phase, as evidenced by recent events involving U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. Within just 24 hours of her inaugural campaign speech for the Democrats’ presidential nomination, a series of digitally altered content began circulating online.

One particularly infamous tweet, shared by far-right user Matthew Wallace on the platform X, features a black-and-white photograph purportedly depicting a young Kamala Harris in the 1980s, allegedly as a sex worker in New York City. Accompanying the image is a sensational claim that reads, “Bombshell footage… of Kamala Harris as a prostitute!” The tweet has gained significant traction, amassing over 627,000 views as of July 22.

Upon investigation, UK-based fact-checking organization Logically Facts traced the image back to renowned street photographer Matt Weber, who captured it in 1988. Weber described the misuse of his photo as a “pathetic reach.” At that time, Harris was a dedicated student at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, from which she graduated in 1989, as confirmed by a press release from the college.

Logically Facts has deemed it “highly improbable” that the potential Democratic nominee was engaged in sex work in New York while pursuing her education. A graduation photo from that era also presents evidence against the claims, showcasing a distinct hairstyle that differs from the woman in the viral photograph.

Undermining Competence

Logically Facts notes that a series of fabricated claims about Harris’s sexual history have emerged, seemingly designed to undermine her credibility and competence as the U.S. presidential elections approach. Among the myriad of false allegations are assertions that she partied with rapper P. Diddy in the early 2000s, claims questioning her eligibility to run for president, and even a ludicrous suggestion that she advocated for lowering the age of consent to 12.

Additionally, photoshopped images depicting Harris alongside controversial figure Jeffrey Epstein have also circulated on X. However, fact-checkers from BBC Verify clarified that the authentic image in question is one featuring Harris with her husband, Doug Emhoff, taken in 2015.

This is not the first instance of deepfake content being weaponized against the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. TikTok has previously removed various deepfake videos involving Harris, including one audio clip where her voice was manipulated to sound as though she was slurring her words. In a statement to Mashable, TikTok reiterated its “firm policies against harmful AI-generated content” and emphasized that it is “aggressively removing this content.”

Euronews Next is currently seeking comments from both TikTok and X regarding this ongoing issue.