Urgent alerts have been issued following the appearance of deepfake videos online featuring well-known doctors and celebrities endorsing dubious dietary supplements. These videos include fabricated representations of respected figures like Dr Norman Swan, Professor Jonathan Shaw, and former Australian Medical Association (AMA) president, Professor Kerryn Phelps, falsely promoting products that claim to treat conditions such as type 2 diabetes.
One notable video shows a deepfake version of Professor Shaw endorsing a dietary supplement as a remedy for diabetes, while another features a distorted Dr Swan dismissing scientific evidence as “stupid” while attempting to sell weight loss solutions aimed at heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Dr Danielle McMullen, the current AMA president, highlighted that these videos, generated using advanced deepfake technology, are used to mislead the public and sell ineffective products.
The emergence of these deepfake videos has raised concerns about the veracity of online content, prompting calls for heightened scrutiny from viewers. McMullen stated that the growing sophistication of deepfake technology means that online videos can no longer be taken at face value, creating challenges for consumers, especially those vulnerable due to serious health issues.
Further complicating the situation, the AMA has placed some blame on Meta (previously known as Facebook) for a decline in content moderation policies that may have facilitated the spread of these deceptive videos since changes were made in January 2025. Reports suggest a notable increase in misinformation and harmful content across Meta’s platforms following this policy shift.
Despite efforts to engage Meta in removing deepfake content, the AMA’s attempts have been unsuccessful. They are now urging the federal government to take action against the troubling trend of misleading health-related advertising.
Besides Australian doctors, this deepfake phenomenon has also exploited the likenesses of celebrities like Adele and Rebel Wilson to promote similar products, amplifying the dangerous reach of these misleading videos.
In response to this issue, several recommendations have been proposed to the government, including mandatory identification of companies behind videos promoting medical products, a public reporting portal for suspected deepfakes, time-sensitive takedown requests for disputed videos, and strengthened enforcement measures to penalize companies misusing deepfake technology in their marketing of medical products. These initiatives aim to protect the public from fraudulent health claims and ensure more accountability in the digital landscape.