UnHerd with Freddie Sayers Yanis Varoufakis: The most deepfaked man on YouTube!
Dec 30, 2025
Yanis Varoufakis, former Greek finance minister and co-host of the Econoclasts podcast, dives into the alarming world of AI-generated deepfakes, using his own experience as a striking example. He discusses the distressing rise of misinformation fueled by Big Tech's algorithms prioritizing engagement over truth. Varoufakis critiques the slow responses from platforms like Google and Meta, and highlights the risks of losing trusted voices in society. He proposes solutions such as digital commons and political action to reclaim our identities in this increasingly confusing digital landscape.
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How Yanis First Spotted His Deepfakes
- Yanis discovered deepfakes after a colleague sent him a congratulatory YouTube link for a video he hadn't made.
- He recognised the fake when a shirt from his island home appeared in a supposed office clip, proving it wasn't him.
Deepfakes Reappear Like Hydra Heads
- Yanis found deepfake channels varied in intent, some clearly pro-Russia inserting defamatory lines he would never say.
- He reported videos to Google and Meta but removals were temporary as identical content resurfaced on new channels.
Deepfakes Thrive Because Platforms Profit
- Yanis argues big tech tolerates deepfakes because their ad-driven business model profits from engagement and attention.
- He calls this concentration of control 'techno-feudal' power that undermines users' rights over their audiovisual identity.