As deepfake technology evolves at a rapid pace, countries around the world are grappling with how best to address its dangers.
As deepfakes become increasingly sophisticated, countries worldwide are actively grappling with their disruptive potential. Egypt and South Korea, both navigating significant digital shifts while prioritizing reliable information, provide distinct but potentially synergistic models for addressing this evolving threat.
One is investing heavily in artificial intelligence to pre-empt threats, while the other is drawing a firm legal line to protect democratic processes. Together, they highlight a global shift in cybersecurity priorities, now increasingly focused on AI-driven misinformation and deepfake abuse.
Egypt Leads Regional Cybersecurity with AI-Powered Strategy
At CAISEC 2025, held on May 25-26, Egypt showcased its ambition to lead the Middle East and Africa in cybersecurity resilience. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), the event brought together over 5,000 key players in tech, defense, and policy, and also 9 Ministers, 6 Arab Cybersecurity Leaders, 180 Speakers.
A landmark announcement came in the form of a strategic partnership between Resecurity (US) and Alkan CIT (Egypt). Their joint focus on AI-based threat intelligence, dark web surveillance, and cyber defense infrastructure places Egypt on the digital frontlines of a rapidly evolving threat landscape.
This was complemented by global firm Exabeam, which introduced AI-powered Security Operations Center (SOC) platforms aimed at predictive threat detection—tools that are increasingly vital as malicious use of AI, including deepfakes, accelerates.
South Korea Responds with Legal Firepower
While Egypt enhances its technical defenses, South Korea is reinforcing the legal boundaries around deepfake misuse. With less than a week until the June 3 presidential election, the National Election Commission (NEC) filed criminal complaints against three YouTubers under a newly amended Public Official Election Act.
These individuals allegedly created and posted:
- AI-generated images of a candidate in prison attire,
- Ten deepfake videos using synthetic news anchors,
- Disparaging content on personal social media, aimed at influencing voter perception.
This is the first legal case under the revised act, which bans the creation and sharing of AI-generated political content during the 90-day pre-election period.
The penalties are steep—up to 7 years in prison or a ₩50 million ($36,250) fine—and underscore the seriousness with which Korea is treating the rise of synthetic political propaganda.
A Growing Global Threat
The urgency behind these responses becomes even more evident when viewed alongside data from the Views4You Deepfake Database:
- 98% of known deepfakes online relate to non-consensual explicit content.
- A rising share targets public figures and election candidates, often via fabricated endorsements or defamatory narratives.
- Deepfake impersonation has already led to cases of financial fraud, corporate sabotage, and reputational damage.
As the line between real and fake blurs, both government and private sectors are called to act. Egypt’s investment in predictive AI systems and South Korea’s legal interventions represent two sides of the same coin: a proactive defense against the manipulative potential of AI-generated media.
The global response to deepfakes is evolving—and fast. While some nations opt to build technological shields, others are tightening the legal frameworks.
What’s clear is that no single approach is sufficient. A combination of technological innovation, international collaboration, and strict legal oversight is essential to preserve public trust and safeguard digital ecosystems.
As Egypt and South Korea demonstrate, the path forward lies in recognizing deepfakes not merely as technical anomalies, but as societal risks demanding coordinated, global solutions.
