Calls on Opponents to Speak Out Against Disinformation
The Vallas for Mayor campaign is denouncing a fake, deceptive video that circulated on Twitter this evening that impersonated the frontrunning candidate’s voice using deep fake technology. The video was posted by an account called “Lakefront News” that was created only days ago and was deleted after the Vallas campaign reported it to Twitter, however it was viewed thousands of times prior to being taken down. The campaign is also calling on other mayoral candidates to join Vallas in denouncing disinformation tactics in the closing days before the mayoral election.
The Vallas campaign is releasing the following statement:
“An anonymous Twitter account posted an obviously fake, deceptive video tonight using deep fake technology to impersonate Paul’s voice and defame his character. These kinds of deceitful tactics are outrageous and every other candidate for Mayor should join us in denouncing this kind of blatant, toxic disinformation campaign. We reported this unethical, fake video to Twitter and are glad that the account that posted it has now been taken down. We expect that our opponents and all responsible media outlets will refrain from spreading this kind of blatant impersonation. This is an egregious example of the kind of disinformation flying around in this campaign, and Paul Vallas is running for Mayor to focus on the real issues impacting Chicago like reducing crime and putting public safety first.”