The Biometric Shield Against Deepfakes in Geopolitics

The control of the internet by powerful groups is destroying digital peace, which protects online activities. The 2024 Super Election Year saw almost half of the global population participate in voting, but this election did not determine the actual effects of their votes. The movement of data through digital channels served as a crucial element that created public opinions and determined election results. Deepfakes function as a tool for politicians to manipulate public opinion while achieving their objectives through peaceful means.

The use of deepfakes in geopolitics has advanced beyond its testing phase to become a working tool for political deception. Political groups now use cloned voices together with AI-generated videos and synthetic identities as tools to disrupt elections while spreading false information and inciting social unrest. The threat becomes more dangerous because it develops at a fast pace. Deepfake technology enables people to create authentic-looking fake videos within seconds and share them worldwide before any law enforcement agencies can begin their investigation.

The World Economic Forum’s 2026 Global Cybersecurity Outlook reports that 94% of security leaders expect AI to be the main driver of change in cybersecurity. This change has completely transformed how trust operates in public life. The challenge is no longer just removing false content after it spreads; it is proving, in real time, that the person on the screen is real. For governments and high-risk organizations, this question now sits at the center of national security. 

How Deepfake Information Warfare Operates Today

Deepfake information warfare has replaced traditional propaganda methods through its rapid development. Disinformation operations had required extensive human networks and operational planning that lasted for several months. A single person can now leverage generative AI to produce an authentic digital replica of their political opponent within a matter of seconds.

The real damage comes from the erosion of trust caused by AI-generated content. When people cannot tell whether a message from a leader is genuine or fabricated, the state’s ability to communicate during crises weakens. This has given rise to what legal scholars call the Liar’s Dividend, a world where real evidence can be dismissed as fake simply because deepfakes exist.

Synthetic media is no longer treated as a fringe media issue; it is now a central geopolitical and cybersecurity concern.

Real-World Deepfake Incidents in Politics and Security

Deepfakes are especially dangerous in uncertain times, like during election silence periods or active conflicts, when their effects can be most damaging.  The world has moved beyond the era of clumsy forgeries into an age of hyper-realistic synthetic media.

The $25 Million Injection Attack

In a landmark case, a finance worker in Hong Kong authorized a multi-million-dollar wire transfer after joining a video call populated entirely by deepfake executives. The faces and voices were convincing. The identities were fake.

The 2025-2026 Global Escalation

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security has warned that state-sponsored actors are increasingly using synthetic media to support disinformation campaigns, influence public opinion, and create enabling conditions around critical infrastructure and national security contexts.

These incidents demonstrate a clear evolution: deepfakes are no longer just about persuasion; they are about access.

Navigating the AI Regulatory Landscape of Deepfakes in Politics

Governments are responding to this growing threat with stricter regulation and enforcement.

AI responsibly under the EU AI Act

The European Union’s AI Regulations are starting their enforcement process through which various legal requirements will be implemented at different times until 2026 and 2027. Article 50 of the act, which introduced transparency requirements, will reach full enforcement on August 2, 2026, which mandates organizations that use deepfake technology to identify their synthetic materials. Geopolitical actors must implement machine-readable watermarks together with strong protection measures that prevent unauthorized use.

The U.S. Take It Down Act

The Take It Down Act of 2025 became the first bipartisan initiative in the United States to make non-consensual deepfake creation a criminal offense. The law, which the FTC backs, mandates platforms to delete illegal synthetic content within a 48-hour period, establishing a worldwide standard for platform responsibility and fast removal of prohibited synthetic media.

For public institutions and regulated industries, deepfake defense is no longer optional. It is now a compliance requirement.

Why Traditional Deepfake Detection No Longer Works

The existing defenses concentrate their efforts on detecting visual defects through the identification of lighting inconsistencies, facial artifacts, and compression errors. The current method of operation is becoming outdated.

The current deepfake technology has reached an advanced stage of development. The system can successfully complete visual assessments while generating authentic responses to fundamental liveness tests that require blinking or smiling. The effectiveness of systems that depend on basic checks to assess security has decreased because of this development.

Digital injection attacks represent the highest level of danger because attackers can directly inject synthetic video feeds into authentication systems to bypass all standard camera security measures.

The Alan Turing Institute published reports in late 2025 that showed that identity-related security vulnerabilities had increased by 300% from 2020 to 2024. This finding demonstrates the increasing demand for effective biometric anti-spoofing protection systems.

The Case for Passive 3D Liveness Detection

Modern security systems need to focus on establishing real proof instead of attempting to detect fake elements. Passive 3D liveness detection verifies genuine human presence by analyzing the true 3D facial depth, skin texture, and subsurface light behavior, and the involuntary biometric signals that synthetic media cannot reproduce.

The process operates in the background without creating any user notifications, which advanced deepfakes can easily copy. The method proves essential for government operations that  include:

• Remote identity verification
• Secure video communications
• Access to sensitive systems
• National ID and border control programs

It shifts the security model from detection to prevention.

Biometric Sovereignty and On-Premise AI

The biometric data of public institutions serves as a national security measure. Governments can use on-premise biometric verification to maintain complete control over facial and iris data while they decrease their legal exposure to foreign jurisdictions and fulfill their strict regulatory obligations. The concept of biometric sovereignty has emerged as the expected standard for countries to implement national biometric systems.

Comparing Injection Attacks and Social Media Deepfakes

To understand the defense, we must understand the attack vector.

How Facia Is Leading the Fight Against Deepfake Threats

Deepfakes have exposed a fundamental weakness in digital trust. When appearances can be fabricated at scale, identity must be verified at a deeper level.

Facia solves the problem of digital trust through its system, which uses biological evidence to verify user identity. It  uses its 3D liveness detection and deepfake detection solutions to confirm human identity through depth information, texture data, and biological signals, which deepfake technology cannot replicate.

 It provides its systems for controlled environments that require strict security measures through its on-premises installation system, its biometric data control system, and its compliance with EU AI Act requirements.

The geopolitical environment is evolving as artificial intelligence generates realistic human faces and voices. Facia uses its digital verification system to verify user identities through biological data because this approach helps governments and institutions protect their most critical areas of trust.

Discover how Facia helps governments and regulated organizations verify real human presence and protect digital trust in an age of deepfakes. Book a Demo Today.