Virginia 'backing' Flávio, Caetano 'asking votes' for Lula: celebrity deepfakes flood social media on the eve of Brazil's election

In the final stretch of Brazil's election, celebrities' faces and voices have become raw material for disinformation. According to Metrópoles, fake AI-generated videos are circulating online showing Virginia Fonseca endorsing Flávio Bolsonaro and Caetano Veloso endorsing Lula. Anitta, Ana Castela and Neymar have also had their likeness used in similar fakes, on both sides of the race.

The fakes are getting harder to spot: they now mimic lighting, shadows and micro-expressions, and voice cloning needs only a few seconds of audio. AI specialist Allison Lopes advises checking the source: if a celebrity made a major political statement, it would appear at once in the main outlets and on that person's verified profiles.

Brazil's electoral courts ban deepfakes meant to help or hurt candidates. From 72 hours before the vote until 24 hours after, publishing synthetic content using the image or voice of candidates and public figures is prohibited, even when labeled as AI. The problem, the report notes, is that takedowns can't erase the impression left on those who already watched.