The U. S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is seeking companies to develop undetectable deepfake internet personas that can convincingly appear as real individuals online, according to a procurement document reviewed by The Intercept. This initiative is part of a strategic wish list from the Department of Defense’s Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), which targets advanced technologies for elite military operations. The document emphasizes the creation of fake online profiles that mimic human uniqueness and include realistic expressions and high-quality photos. JSOC's requirements extend beyond still images to include facial and background videos, audio layers, and even fake environments designed to bypass detection algorithms used by social media platforms. This development follows previous usage of fake accounts by U. S. military operations to promote propaganda and influence perceptions, notably against foreign adversaries like China. Previously, SOCOM expressed interest in video deepfakes for various operations, including deception and misinformation campaigns. The technology relies on advanced machine learning models, such as Nvidia's StyleGAN, which has been utilized to create false online identities.

While government measures currently include liveness detection techniques to combat deepfakes, the military's pursuit raises concerns about the ethical implications of employing such deceptive technologies. Despite condemning deepfake use by other nations as a threat to national security, the U. S. military’s initiatives reveal a contradiction. Security officials have recognized synthetic media as a growing menace, yet the Pentagon's push to harness deepfake capabilities for its own purposes may provoke wider adoption among global adversaries. Analysts argue this could undermine public trust in information and create a climate of skepticism regarding government communications. Both Russia and China have also exploited deepfake technology for propaganda, prompting the U. S. to advance a framework countering foreign information manipulation. This internal inconsistency reflects a broader tension within the U. S. government regarding the balance between promoting truthful information and conducting covert operations, ultimately raising apprehensions about public perception and domestic trust.