AI-Generated Deepfakes of Singapore Celebrities Spotted in TikTok Ads

Singaporean TikTok users have been targeted by advertisements featuring AI-generated deepfakes of well-known local figures, including personalities Dewy Choo and Zhang Linghe, according to reports of the unauthorized use.

The synthetic versions of these public figures have been deployed across the platform to market various products to audiences in Singapore, exploiting their recognizable faces and public profiles without consent. The discovery highlights the growing sophistication of deepfake technology and its application in commercial deception.

This incident represents an escalating trend of identity exploitation through artificial intelligence, where bad actors leverage the likenesses of celebrities and public personalities to lend credibility to fraudulent advertising schemes. Such practices undermine consumer trust and raise serious questions about verification and authenticity in digital advertising spaces.

The misuse comes amid broader regional concerns about deepfake technology's potential for fraud, misinformation, and reputational harm. Authorities and platform operators across Southeast Asia have increasingly grappled with incidents involving synthetic media, prompting calls for stronger detection measures and regulatory frameworks to protect both consumers and public figures from such exploitation.