Gaming app owner booked for using Sachin’s fake video in ad

Police book owner of a gaming app for using a deepfake video of Sachin Tendulkar in its promotional video, prompting Tendulkar to call for action against misinformation and deepfakes.

MUMBAI: Police have booked the owner of a gaming app for allegedly using a deepfake or artificial intelligence-generated fake video of former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar in its promotional video. The video shows the master blaster saying his daughter Sara often plays games on the Skyward Aviator Quest gaming app.

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Tendulkar’s personal assistant Ramesh Pardhe complained about the video to the west region cyber police on Tuesday. He mentioned that he came across the video when a user called Hurma shared it on Facebook. “The visuals are from an old interview that Tendulkar gave to journalist Vikram Sathye. The audio seems to have been superimposed on the video using deep fake technology to make it sound authentic,” he stated in the complaint, noting that the advertisement claimed Sara won ₹1.8 lakh per day by playing games on the app.

Based on Pardhe’s complaint, police booked the owner of the gaming app as well as the social media user who shared the video under section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and section 66(A) (sending offensive messages through communication service) of the Information Technology Act.

Meanwhile, Tendulkar shared the said video on X, saying, “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.”

An official from the west region cyber police said that they were tracking the IP address of the Facebook user who shared the fake video.

This is the second instance of photos and videos featuring Tendulkar being used to advertise questionable products. In May last year, the cyber police had booked an unknown accused for using the master blaster’s images for advertising a fat-burning spray without his authorisation. The company had also floated a website named after Tendulkar, featuring his photos, to sell their products.