The representative study by Bitkom analysed awareness of deepfake and attitudes towards it. For this purpose, 1,002 people aged 16 and over were surveyed by telephone.
The study shows that 60% of Germans have already heard of deepfakes, but only 15% can explain the term well. 23% of respondents stated that they had basic knowledge of the term, while 22% had heard of it but did not know exactly what it was. Only relatively few respondents (19%) were confident enough to identify deepfakes as such. Almost half of those surveyed (44%) state that they have already been taken in by a deepfake. Overall, 70% of respondents are suspicious of photos and videos, with 63% stating that deepfakes scare them and 60% seeing deepfakes as a threat to democracy. In turn, 55% recognise positive uses for deepfakes in areas such as cinema or art.
Most respondents have been confronted with the topic of deepfakes in reports or reports, while only 2% have recognised unmarked deepfakes on the internet themselves, 8% have come across marked deepfakes and 3% have tried out deepfake software themselves. The majority (84%) of respondents are in favour of mandatory labelling of deepfakes, and 60% call for a complete ban on deepfakes. In addition to raising awareness of the issue, it is also important to promote digital skills in Germany in order to mitigate the risks and uncertainties associated with deepfakes.
