Make Your Mark (On “Deepfakes”)

There are currently few possible solutions to stop the spread of deepfakes and the harms they perpetrate. We explored these mitigation techniques by conducting interviews with leading experts in the field of synthetic media to inform the game The Deepfake Files. Out of an array of options, one set of solutions surfaced time and again from interviews was ‘marking’ synthetically generated media, namely either watermarking or provenance marking. This paper will explore some of the key themes about watermarking and provenance that arose from the interviews, specifically similarities and differences, and detailing the strengths and weaknesses of each solution. It will then outline the necessity of a multipronged effort for any mitigation strategy to be effective, focusing on the need for better education and understanding of these techniques.