Cybersecurity Firm Surfshark Reports Surge in Election Deepfakes; South Korea Ranks Third Globally
A Surfshark study analyzing media-reported cases from Jan 2020 to Sep 2026 found 235 election deepfake incidents across 46 countries, with early 2026 cases up 27% year-over-year.
Cybersecurity company Surfshark has released a study indicating a rapid global spread of AI-generated election deepfakes, posing new threats to democratic processes and electoral fairness. According to the report, which analyzed media-covered incidents between January 2020 and September 2026, a total of 235 election-related deepfake cases were identified across 46 countries.
The data shows a significant acceleration in 2026. Cases confirmed in the first nine months of 2026 reached 66, exceeding the annual total of 52 cases recorded in 2025 by 27%. Surfshark attributes this surge to the increased accessibility of AI-based video and audio generation tools, which have lowered the technical barrier for creating manipulated content.
Geographically, the United States leads with 87 cases, accounting for 37% of the global total. India follows with 19 cases, while South Korea ranks third with 16 cumulative cases since 2021. In the Asia-Pacific region, 73 cases were confirmed across 15 countries, with incidents concentrated in India, South Korea, Taiwan, and Indonesia.
Social media platforms remain the primary vector for dissemination. Among cases where the distribution path was identified, 84% spread via SNS. Specifically, X (formerly Twitter) accounted for 49% of these instances, followed by TikTok (29%), Facebook (22%), Instagram (12%), and YouTube (7%). Note that percentages may exceed 100% due to multi-platform distribution.
Luis Costa, Head of Research at Surfshark, noted that the democratization of creation technology is a key driver, stating that what once required studio-level resources can now be achieved with an app and minutes. He warned that deepfake content often prioritizes emotional reaction over fact-checking, urging users to verify suspicious candidate videos through reputable news sources before sharing.