Deepfakes in Criminal Investigations: Interdisciplinary Research Directions for CMC Research

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Authors: Lorenz Meinen, Astrid Schomäcker, Stefanie Wiedemann, Markus Hartmann, Timo Speith, Lena Kästner, Niklas Kühl, Christian Rückert

Published: 2025-07-04 10:22:50+00:00

AI Summary

This interdisciplinary paper examines the responsible use of deepfakes in criminal investigations, highlighting the potential benefits and risks. It argues that computer-mediated communication (CMC) research, particularly using social media corpora, can provide crucial insights into understanding and mitigating the harms and benefits of deepfakes.

Abstract

The emergence of deepfake technologies offers both opportunities and significant challenges. While commonly associated with deception, misinformation, and fraud, deepfakes may also enable novel applications in high-stakes contexts such as criminal investigations. However, these applications raise complex technological, ethical, and legal questions. We adopt an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on computer science, philosophy, and law, to examine what it takes to responsibly use deepfakes in criminal investigations and argue that computer-mediated communication (CMC) research, especially based on social media corpora, can provide crucial insights for understanding the potential harms and benefits of deepfakes. Our analysis outlines key research directions for the CMC community and underscores the need for interdisciplinary collaboration in this evolving domain.

Key findings
The paper identifies key research directions for the CMC community, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary collaboration. It highlights the need to balance the potential benefits of deepfakes in investigations against significant ethical and legal concerns. It also stresses the importance of understanding how deepfakes are used and perceived in real communication environments to improve detection and regulation.
Approach
The paper adopts an interdisciplinary approach, combining computer science, philosophy, and law, to analyze the ethical, legal, and technological aspects of using deepfakes in criminal investigations. It proposes that CMC research, focusing on social media data, can offer valuable insights for improving deepfake detection and understanding their impact on communication.
Datasets
UNKNOWN
Model(s)
UNKNOWN
Author countries
Germany
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