Understanding strategies employed by seniors in identifying deepfakes

Purpose This paper aims to confront the rising threat of deepfake videos, focusing on the limited research on deepfake detection strategies among seniors. The study thus investigates seniors’ video credibility conceptualizations and identifies their deepfake detection strategies. Design/methodology/approach This study employed semi-structured interviews with 20 seniors aged 55 to 70. Areas covered include their perceptions of video information credibility and identification strategies undertaken. Qualitative content analysis was conducted to interpret interview responses. Findings Seniors emphasized the importance of objectivity, trustworthiness, believability, reliability and truthfulness in terms of video credibility. Regarding strategies for assessing video credibility, seniors employed five categories: character appearance, non-human visuals, audio, personal knowledge and external sources. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on human-oriented deepfake detection strategies by uncovering diverse methods employed by seniors. It enhances the understanding of how individuals assess video credibility in the context of deepfakes. Furthermore, this study offers practical and applicable strategies for real-world deepfake detection.