The State Service of Special Communication and Information Security and the Media Development Agency have issued a statement.

XQ presents the statement:

“An alleged video address to the people of Azerbaijan on behalf of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, has been circulated on a number of social networks using fake accounts. We declare you that the mentioned video is a fake generated using “deepfake” technology and is completely wide of the mark.

While urging the public to believe only in information shared by official sources, we remind that the official website and social media accounts of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan are always active as a reliable source of information and cover the activities of the head of state in a prompt manner.

We call on citizens of Azerbaijan, journalists and social activists to always show a principled approach to such situations, be vigilant at a time when campaigns based on fake and false information are gaining momentum at the global level.

The use of “deepfake” technologies to create and spread fake videos on behalf of various people was also identified and prevented during the 44-day Patriotic War. Currently, relevant institutions are dealing with “deepfakes”, which are considered as a new threat all over the world.

Appropriate measures are being taken with regard to the aforementioned fake and false video address and its source.”