MAM
Valentine’s Day spending rebounds in India
MUMBAI: Well, well, just as we were getting cynical about love and that romance is on the way down here is some contrarian news from affiliate network Admitad. According to data provided by it, the worst is behind us and love is blossoming; couples have returned to gifting with consumption rising 15 per cent during Valentine’s Day (VD) week.
Analysis of over 500,000 orders revealed an average spend of Rs 2,000, with mobile devices accounting for more than half of all purchases. Hotel bookings surged 20 per cent as couples opted for weekend getaways, whilst food delivery orders rose 15 per cent. Fashion items dominated gift choices at 25 per cent of purchases, followed by cosmetics at 15 per cent and electronics at 12 per cent. The most dramatic growth came in flowers and luxury goods, which saw sales spike 89 per cent and 67 per cent respectively compared to non-holiday periods.
Digital-savvy shoppers maximised value, with 20 per cent claiming cashback and 12 per cent using promotional codes. Affiliate stores influenced over a quarter of purchases, whilst online media recommendations drove 15 per cent of sales.
The strong performance marks a sharp reversal from 2024’s 10 per cent decline in Valentine’s spending, suggesting renewed consumer confidence in Asia’s third-largest economy.
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.
