New Database Tracks Political Deepfakes
Researchers compiled nearly 500 examples of synthetic political posts to analyze their intent and frequency on social media.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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Researchers from Purdue University, the University of Georgia, and Emory University have launched a database tracking nearly 500 political deepfakes found on social media. The project provides an analytical look at synthetic media activity, with a significant majority of tracked instances appearing on the platform X.
Why it matters
This database offers empirical visibility into the landscape of synthetic political content, classifying posts into categories like propaganda and entertainment. It highlights the volume of deepfakes emerging in the current political environment, particularly as the October 2026 midterm election approaches.
The database tracks 482 total posts, with 58% of that set depicting Donald Trump. Among those specific Trump-focused deepfakes, 37% were classified as positive in nature.
The players
Purdue University
A public research university leading the database project focusing on computational analysis and political media.
X
A social media platform identified by researchers as the most frequent host for the tracked synthetic deepfake posts.
Donald Trump
The current President of the United States who appears as the subject in 279 of the 482 tracked synthetic posts.
The details
Researchers categorized the deepfakes using four distinct labels: darkfakes, glowfakes, foefakes, and fanfakes. The team compiled these examples by monitoring social media platforms throughout the year to observe how synthetic imagery is deployed. The majority of the collected posts—70%—were identified as entertainment, while 55% were classified as propaganda.
Timeline
Political deepfakes appeared on social media platforms throughout 2026.
The midterm election is scheduled for October 2026.
The Tech Race
This database advances the field of computational social science by moving from binary detection to nuanced categorization of synthetic political intent. It follows broader academic trends focused on mapping how synthetic media influences the digital information ecosystem.
The database provides a public repository for understanding how synthetic political media is being used on social platforms. It serves as a resource for observers to track how specific political figures, including the President, are depicted in online synthetic content.
The takeaway
The project quantifies the prevalence of entertainment versus propaganda in current synthetic political media. Watch for future updates to the database, as researchers intend to add more posts leading up to the October 2026 midterm election.
What happens next
Researchers are scheduled to expand the database with additional posts in the coming days.
Further reading
Explore the latest developments in synthetic media and research in our Artificial Intelligence section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The National Desk.
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