Perception of Deepfakes among Bangladeshi Women

2026-01-19

AI Summary

This study addresses the limited understanding of how women in the Global South perceive and respond to deepfakes. Focusing on women in Bangladesh, it draws on 15 semi-structured interviews analyzed through a human-computer interaction (HCI) theoretical lens and thematic analysis to explore their awareness of and coping strategies against deepfakes within the intersecting contexts of cultural values, gender norms, institutional trust, and digital harassment. As the first qualitative investigation centered on women from the Global South, this work reveals how sociocultural and gendered factors profoundly shape perceptions of technological risks. The findings offer an empirical foundation and novel insights for designing culturally sensitive educational interventions, informing policy, and advancing cross-cultural HCI research.

Technology Category

• Application Domains: Humanities & Computational Social Science
• Computer Vision: Bias, Fairness & Privacy
• Humans and AI: Learning Human Values and Preferences

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Human-perceived consequences of algorithmic deployment on the web
• Security and Privacy: Data transparency and provenance
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Trust and reliance of crowd workers and data experts on GenAI

Abstract

As deepfake technology becomes more accessible, concerns about its misuse and societal impact are escalating, particularly in regions like the Global South where digital literacy and regulatory measures are often limited. While previous research has explored deepfakes in contexts such as detection and media manipulation, there is a noticeable gap in understanding how individuals in these regions perceive and interact with deepfake media. This study addresses this gap by investigating how Bangladeshi women perceive deepfakes and the socio-cultural factors influencing their awareness, concerns, and responses to this technology. Drawing on 15 semi-structured interviews, we uncover how cultural values, gendered norms, trust in institutions, and the prevalence of digital harassment shape their perceptions and coping mechanisms. Through this research, we aim to advance existing scholarship in HCI by offering insights into the design of culturally sensitive interventions, educational initiatives, and policy frameworks to address the challenges posed by deepfakes in the Global South.

Problem

• deepfakes
• perception
• Global South
• gender
• digital literacy

Innovation

• deepfakes
• Global South
• gendered norms
• digital literacy
• culturally sensitive design