BBC Ideas

Experts warn that deepfakes, voice cloning, and other synthetic media have made online fraud far more convincing than in the early days of glitchy, easily spotted fakes. A new BBC Ideas animation with The Open University walks through practical verification habits, urging people to check sources, cross-reference details, and stay skeptical of unexpected calls or videos before responding or sending money.

Channel 4 has turned down the idea of a merger with the BBC but is open to a deal involving BBC iPlayer, according to reporting by Journalism Pakistan. The broadcaster is said to be considering closer cooperation on streaming instead of a full combination. The news has drawn attention in the UK as debates continue over the future of public service broadcasting and how the two broadcasters should respond to competition from global streamers.

A public awareness push is warning that deepfakes, voice cloning and other synthetic media have made online fraud far harder to detect than in earlier years, when glitches like distorted hands gave scams away. A short animated explainer from BBC Ideas and The Open University is circulating, offering practical verification habits people can use to recognise manipulated content and avoid being deceived.