MAM
i3 Mobile and ESPN hatch alliance to give users audio highlights
Di3 Mobile Inc. a premium wireless media content and service provider in America and ESPN which claims to be The Worldwide Leader in Sports have announced an agreement to offer ESPN Radio SportsCenter audio reports updated every 20 minutes directly to Pronto users across America from 28 June.
To receive ESPN Radio SportsCenter reports, subscribers can call Pronto and say, “Get me the top sports headlines,” to hear ESPN anchors deliver the latest sports news updates. Sports fans can now stay up to the minute on the World Cup — or get any other sports news all with one call to Pronto. The alliance fits in with ESPN’s strategy to reach sports fans whenever, wherever an official release informs.
Pronto is a premium monthly subscription service that works on any phone with any calling plan. Pronto delivers information and service 24 hours a day, with live operators that are available to provide detailed answers for more complicated inquiries. Pronto users can also send e-mails with just the sound of their voice and access virtually any information they need just by asking — from stock quotes, weather reports, driving directions and airline schedules.
The agreement with ESPN follows recent announcements that Wall Street Journal business and market reports as well as CNN news business updates, are also available from Pronto. The addition of ESPN gives Pronto users 24/7 access to news and information from the world’s leading news and sports brands.
MAM
Deepfakes target women in 93 per cent of cases, report finds
Pi-labs study shows 900 per cent rise in female-focused synthetic media; India sees 60 per cent jump in cybercrime complaints.
MUMBAI: Deepfakes aren’t just fooling cameras, they’re hitting women hardest, turning pixels into a new kind of weapon. A new report from creator intelligence platform Pi-labs has revealed that nearly 93 per cent of deepfake victims are women, with deepfake content targeting females surging 900% in recent years. The findings paint synthetic media as a fast-escalating digital threat with a stark gendered impact.
In India, cybercrime complaints involving women rose from about 50,000 in 2024 to nearly 80,000 by 2026, an increase of roughly 60 per cent in just two years. Almost 98 per cent of deepfake pornography is aimed at women, often powered by face-swapping apps and bot networks that disproportionately target females, including school-age girls. Victims typically fall in the 18–30 age group, with Bengaluru reporting a growing share of cases.
Globally, 62 per cent of deepfake abuse cases involving women go unreported due to stigma, in India, over one-third of women facing online harassment take no action, and many reduce their digital presence after abuse. Close to 33 per cent of women remain unaware of protective laws.
City-level trends show Bengaluru leading with nearly 30 per cent of complaints, followed by Hyderabad (14 per cent), Mumbai (13 per cent), Chennai and Kolkata (5 per cent each), and Delhi (3 per cent).
Pi-labs, CEO and founder Anukush Tiwari said, “AI is one of the most powerful technologies of our time, but like every powerful tool, it reflects the intent of those who use it. We are witnessing a growing trust deficit in digital spaces, where identity can be manipulated within minutes and reputations can be damaged overnight.”
Image morphing and deepfake videos remain the most common forms of misuse. The report also notes a new trend: fully AI-generated female personas (not based on real individuals) gaining high engagement on social platforms, raising questions about digital credibility.
Detection remains challenging due to widespread generative tools and rogue creators. Industry estimates suggest over 5,000 face-swap tools and more than 1,000 voice-cloning applications are accessible online.
pi-labs offers pi-authentify, an AI-driven detection system that scans media for generative markers and provides authenticity scores, as well as Namokavach, a verification portal delivering confidential assessments within two working days. The Payal gaming case was resolved using pi-authentify’s forensic analysis.
The report urges minimising digital footprints and adopting detection tools to limit replication risks. It frames the gendered impact of synthetic media as an urgent digital safety issue requiring coordinated action from individuals, platforms and technology providers.
In a world where faces can be borrowed in seconds, the real crime isn’t just creation, it’s the silence that follows, and women are paying the heaviest price.
