Gov’t denies video circulating on social media

NASSAU (CMC):

The Bahamas government has described as “false, misleading, and entirely fabricated” a video circulating on social media under the heading ‘The Diplomatic Bombshell’.

A statement issued from the Office of the Prime Minister said that “this video does not depict any real events, statements, or actions taken by the government of The Bahamas or its representatives”.

“The content is artificially generated using AI tools, and the characters and scenarios portrayed are not based on actual occurrences. It is a synthetic production that falsely claims to reflect official diplomatic positions and misrepresents both Bahamian and international affairs.”

The Diplomatic Bombshell is the second such video that has been produced in recent times indicating Caribbean leaders critical of United States President Donald Trump’s tough immigration policies targeting the Caribbean.

Earlier this month, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, addressing the 49th regular meeting of CARICOM leaders, warned against “threats” to the existence of the region.

“We live in a world now where fake news, regrettably, is a key part of all that we have, and where the improper use of AI can sometimes stoke great fear and panic among our citizens,” she said, adding that “it is about time, therefore, that we as a region come up with a CARICOM validation mechanism in the absence of the providers of those platforms not taking the action to validate truth any further”.

She warned that failure to do so could put the region “seriously at the risk” of being destabilised.

She made reference to fake news about Barbados seeking to ban Donald Trump from visiting Barbados based on a false travel advisory issued by Bridgetown, adding, “it is almost as if this is a daily exercise now for our countries”.

The communiqué issued following the summit noted that the regional leaders had expressed concern about the deleterious effect that social media and artificial intelligence- generated images could have on children and vulnerable groups, and the recent cessation of efforts at content moderation by Big Tech companies.

“They agreed to pursue a regional approach to develop a framework for digital safety and associated laws, to safeguard the mental health and well-being of Caribbean citizens, and to establish a Regional Digital Safety Commission to develop proposals to enhance online safety.”

In its statement, The Bahamas government said it is urging the “public and media outlets to exercise caution when encountering such content and to verify information through credible government channels,” adding that “for verified updates, please refer to official government platforms”.