[ad_1]
A Pakistani news anchor has been embroiled in controversy after explicit videos in her name started circulating online. The incident comes just weeks after an erotic deep-fake video of prominent politician Azma Bukhari went viral. Digitally altered videos have become increasingly common in recent years – often weaponized to defame famous women in a country with conservative customs.
News anchor Mona Alam – best known for hosting a popular show on Hum News – however decided to fight the matter head-on by contacting the concerned authorities. Details shared by the journalist on X indicate that a complaint was filed with the Cyber Crime Division of the Federal Investigation Agency in Islamabad. He also alleged that the woman shown in the explicit clip was a ‘proven criminal’.
“The objectionable video of this woman is being spread on social media by petty haters, claiming that it is me. She herself is a proven criminal and hence is posting her actual screen grab for the sake of clarity. I have transferred agencies. My character is impeccable and all campaigners against it will face the music!” she wrote earlier this week.
Deep-fake videos have become a recurring issue for Pakistan amid increasing internet usage in recent years. It was also at the center of a digital debate during the elections as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf used AI tools to create a clip of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The somewhat dark side of technology also makes it uniquely suited to humiliating women.
Bukhari – a Punjab minister who regularly appears on TV – had remained silent for days after a video of his face being superimposed on an Indian actor’s sexualized body in a clip spread rapidly on social media.
“When this came to my knowledge I was devastated,” she told AFP earlier this month.
(with inputs from agencies)
[ad_2]
