Dictionary

cheap fake en · NOUN

Etymology

Blend of cheap + deepfake.

Meanings

1. A real video taken out of context or manipulated with cheap tools.
   • Creators of cheap fakes use techniques such as slowing or speeding footage, cropping or zooming in on videos, and clipping parts of videos to omit the full context. 2024 June 21, Sara Swann, “‘Cheap fake’ videos, and the phrase itself, take 2024 election’s center stage”, in Politifact, archived from the original on 17 Apr 2025:
   • Importantly, deepfakes are perceived as less credible than cheapfakes with a similar de-legitimizing anti-immigration narrative. 2024 May 1, Michael Hameleers, “Cheap Versus Deep Manipulation: The Effects of Cheapfakes Versus Deepfakes in a Political Setting”, in International Journal of Public Opinion Research, volume 36, number 1, →DOI:
   • While deepfakes use AI to create or alter video and audio content, cheap fakes rely on editing and mislabeling media to create a false impression. 2024 November 7, Matt Lindley, “How ‘Cheap Fakes’ Exploit Our Psychological Vulnerabilities”, in InformationWeek, archived from the original on 02 Mar 2026:
2. (US) A real video taken out of context or manipulated with cheap tools. ▸ Such a video depicting Joe Biden as physically or mentally infirm.
   • These videos, called cheap fakes, have become a common tactic to undermine Biden’s fitness for office as the 81-year-old seeks reelection. 2024 June 21, Sara Swann, “‘Cheap fake’ videos, and the phrase itself, take 2024 election’s center stage”, in Politifact, archived from the original on 17 Apr 2025:
   • Some of the videos of Mr. Biden circulating during this year’s campaign are clearly manipulated to make him look old and confused. Others cut out vital context to portray him in a negative light, a process sometimes known as a “cheap fake” because it requires little expense or technological skill to create. 2024 June 21, Katie Glueck, Tiffany Hsu, Ang Li, “How Misleading Videos Are Trailing Biden as He Battles Age Doubts”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 06 Jul 2024:
   • Well, there were plenty of deceptively edited videos trying to show Biden as, like, you know, uh, an invalid, but, like, that being said, there were, and, you know, the White House was very successful and labelling every video as some sort of cheap fake or, um, you know, part of a right wing conspiracy. 2025 June 3, Alex Thompson, 52:08 from the start, in Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson: Biden’s Decline and the Cover-up, Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California:

Forms

Coordinates

deepfake · deepfake