Man Arrested in Indonesia for Creating and Spreading AI-Generated Deepfake Video of President

West Java Police have arrested a 38-year-old man, identified by the initials FJ, for allegedly creating and spreading a deepfake video of President Prabowo Subianto using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The arrest was announced on August 6 by Chief Commissioner of Public Relations for West Java Police, Hendra Rochmawan. The investigation began following a police report filed on August 4, and the Cyber Crime Directorate (Ditresiber) of West Java Police has been pursuing the case. The suspect allegedly manipulated images of President Prabowo using AI, converted them into a video, and uploaded it to TikTok and Instagram accounts under the handle @talentastudio.id. The video reportedly contained a narration stating, "If K becomes president, the country will be in chaos." The incident came to light when a complainant discovered the AI-generated video on TikTok on August 3 and subsequently reported it to the police. Investigators have interviewed two witnesses and four experts, including specialists in linguistics, electronic information and transactions (ITE), legal sociology, and criminal law. Among the evidence seized are an iPhone 15 Pro, the TikTok and Instagram accounts used for uploading the video, and a computer CPU suspected to have been used for content creation. According to Deputy Director of Ditresiber West Java Police, AKBP Mujianto, the suspect is accused of intentionally manipulating electronic information to make it appear authentic. He is expected to be charged under various provisions of Law Number 1 of 2024 concerning the Second Amendment to Law Number 11 of 2008 on Information and Electronic Transactions (UU ITE), as well as provisions related to the alleged forgery of electronic documents under Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code (KUHP). The penalties could include imprisonment for up to 12 years and a fine of up to Rp 12 billion (approximately USD 730,000). The West Java Police highlighted that this case represents one of the early applications of the articles related to electronic data manipulation as stipulated in the latest amendment to the UU ITE. Rochmawan stated that the disclosure of this case also serves as an educational effort for the public to use AI technology more wisely and to refrain from utilizing it for creating or disseminating misleading or illegal content. "The legal penalty is quite severe, up to 12 years in prison and a maximum fine of Rp 12 billion. We hope the public understands that electronic data manipulation using AI can lead to criminal prosecution," he added. Source: Liputan6