Mumbai Police register FIR over Sachin Tendulkar’s deepfake video: Reports

The Mumbai Police have reportedly registered an FIR (First information report) against a gaming site and a Facebook page over a deepfake video of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.

The deepfake video, featuring a manipulated clip and voice of Tendulkar, was posted on social media site Facebook, claiming that the former Indian captain was promoting a gaming app. The clip also gave an incorrect impression that Tendulkar and his daughter Sara had won a lot of money by playing an online game.

On Thursday, January 18, a report in news agency PTI stated that an FIR has been registered in the matter under section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 66 (A) (sending offensive messages through communication service) of the IT Act.

The report quoted an official as saying that a complaint was filed by Tendulkar’s personal assistant at the West Region Cyber police station on Tuesday. The complaint alleged that the video was edited and uploaded on Facebook and that deepfake technology was used to try and imitate the cricket legend’s voice and mannerisms.

As of now, no details are available about the owner of the gaming site as well as the Facebook page.

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Sachin Tendulkar had raised concern over deepfake video on social media

On January 15, Tendulkar had shared a post on his official X handle to clarify that a deepfake video of his was being circulated on online platforms. He described the development as ‘disturbing’ and also raised concern over the misuse of technology. While posting the video on his social media handle, he stated:

"These videos are fake. It is disturbing to see rampant misuse of technology. Request everyone to report videos, ads and apps like these in large numbers. Social media platforms need to be alert and responsive to complaints. Swift action from their end is crucial to stopping the spread of misinformation and deepfakes."

One of the biggest names in international cricket, Tendulkar played 200 Tests and 463 ODIs for India, scoring 15,921 and 18,426 runs, respectively. He is the only batter to have scored 100 international hundreds.