Another PKR rep receives fake sex video blackmail

Tebrau MP Jimmy Puah is the latest Pakatan Harapan lawmaker to be blackmailed with threats of releasing a “sex video”.

The Johor PKR vice chief said he received the threat via email today, which he claimed contained an obscene video featuring his likeness, believed to have been doctored with “deepfake” technology.

“It is believed to be aimed at tarnishing my reputation and applying political pressure,” he said in a statement.

Puah will lodge a report with the police and the MCMC tomorrow morning to urge the government to curtail the abuse of artificial intelligence.

Deepfake - a portmanteau of the terms “deep learning” and “fake” - refers to the use of machine learning techniques to imitate the likeness and/or voice of a real person.

It is often contrasted with “shallowfakes” that use more traditional image, video or audio manipulation techniques.

A few targeted

Puah’s statement came after a slew of Harapan politicians, especially those from PKR, received similar threats.

Yesterday, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil revealed that at least 10 politicians have received blackmail, including himself, who received a demand for US$100,000 (RM420,000).

He said the politicians who have received the threats thus far are PKR MPs Rafizi Ramli, Wong Chen, Taufiq Johari, Adam Adli Abd Halim; PKR assemblypersons Najwan Halimi and Fahmi Ngah; PKR senator Manolan Mohamad; and Gerakan assemblyperson Wong Chia Zhen.

DAP’s Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Chan Foong Hin also claimed to have received the threat.

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