Farmers’ anger hijacked: how deepfakes fuel fake videos on social media

Since December 12, farmers’ anger has intensified, creating fertile ground for the spread of misleading content on social media. Images of farmers in distress, and of celebrities protesting alongside them, such as well-known figures like Tibo InShape, are circulating widely. However, many of these videos are deepfakes, created using artificial intelligence, designed to divert attention and spread false and sometimes racist messages. This phenomenon highlights the exploitation of emotion and anger within the agricultural community to increase the virality of certain content, often associated with controversial ideological spheres. Amidst growing protests among farmers, falsified content created by artificial intelligence is flooding social media. Using advanced techniques like deepfakes, these videos alter public perception of the agricultural movement by disseminating misleading and often inflammatory messages. This article explores the phenomenon of manipulated videos, their impact on the agricultural movement, and the motivations behind their creation. The Sources of Farmer Anger Anger among farmers has taken root in the controversial handling of lumpy skin disease, a disease affecting livestock, and is fueled by widespread dissatisfaction with broken promises from authorities. This frustration has recently manifested itself in visible and media-driven protests, providing ample material for the creation of misleading content. The Rise of Deepfakes: A Tool for ManipulationDeepfake Techniquesare increasingly used to generate fake but visually very realistic videos. By applying this technology to agricultural protests, the creators of these videos manipulate images and sound to mimic authentic events. They can thus portray angry farmers or public figures likeTibo InShape participating in movements, even though their actions and words have been entirely fabricated. Multiple motivations behind the disseminationBehind this deceptive content, accounts seeking virality are often identified. By encouraging users to « follow » or « share » videos supposedly supporting the agricultural cause, they exploit feelings of solidarity to accumulate subscribers and views, paving the way for monetization. This dynamic is sometimes coupled with specific ideological intentions, with some content being used to convey