MTV Lebanon uses deepfakes to commemorate bomb victims 

A deepfake video purporting to 'commemorate' two victims of the 2020 Beirut port bombing that killed over 200 people and injured some 6,500 injured, has been blasted for being 'inappropriate', 'insensitive' and 'unethical'.

Featuring deepfakes of Ralph Mallahi and Amin Al-Zahed, both of whom lost their lives in the 2020 atrocity, the video was titled 'A Letter to the Lebanese Judiciary' and shared on social media by MTV Lebanon with the hashtag, 'It’s been a year, the time is up.' 

Mouin Jaber, co-host of the popular Lebanese podcast “Sarde After Dinner,” told Arab News: 'It’s dystopian. It’s emotional manipulation and blackmail taken to a whole other uncanny level.'

System

• MTV Lebanon website

• MTV Lebanon Wikpedia profile

• MTV Lebanon deepfake video

News, commentary, analysis

• https://www.arabnews.com/node/1901606/media

• https://www.archyde.com/controversial-music-video-deepfakes-victims-of-beirut-explosion/

• https://viraltab.news/mtv-lebanon-slammed-for-deepfake-vid-of-beirut-port-blast-victims-ahead-of-anniversary/

• https://www.reddit.com/r/lebanon/comments/otu4xe/mtv_using_deep_fakes_of_explosion_deceased