As polling day for the Irish Presidential election draws nearer, misinformation and deepfake videos relating to the campaigns have circulated on social media.
According to RTÉ, Meta has removed an account named ‘RTÉ News AI’ and a number of deepfake videos that show AI-generated fake news reports about the presidential election.
In one deepfake video, RTÉ new anchor Sharon Ní Bheoláin tells viewers that Catherine Connolly has withdrawn her candidacy. It then cuts to a deepfake clip of Catherine Connolly announcing that she is dropping out of the presidential election. It finishes with an AI-generated clip of reporter Paul Cunningham telling viewers that Friday’s election has been cancelled and that Heather Humphreys will automatically be elected as president.
Another deepfake video published by RTÉ News AI depicts Claire Byrne telling viewers that 56% of the ballots from the early results have been spoilt in the presidential election. A third deepfake video depicts an RTÉ News report falsely claiming that the Chair of the National Women’s Council of Ireland said Connolly “belongs in a nursing home rather than Áras an Uachtaráin”.
The videos have since been removed from social media platforms by Meta. However, as RTÉ reports, they were viewed and shared thousands of times before their removal.
The RTÉ News AI YouTube account that shared deepfake videos relating to the presidential election was removed by Google earlier this morning.
Both Catherine Connolly and Heather Humphreys remain on the ballot for this year’s presidential election. Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin will also appear on the ballot paper, despite withdrawing from the election earlier this month.
Polling stations around Ireland will open this Friday, October 25, at 7am and they will remain open until 10pm. Everyone who is on the Electoral Register can vote. Voters are advised to bring their ID as they may be asked for it by the polling station staff.
For more information on the upcoming presidential election, visit the Electoral Commission’s website right here.
© 2025 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: 20034580.
GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.
Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.
comments. Please sign in to comment.