Vodafone has entered into a strategic partnership with technology company Synhawk to detect fraud powered by artificial intelligence directly on end-user devices. In the coming months, the AI deepfake detection service will also be available in real time during video conferences and later directly within the operator’s network. These new solutions will help protect businesses, public institutions, and consumers from a rapidly growing category of AI-driven digital threats.
Generative artificial intelligence has opened a new chapter in cybersecurity, one built on the exploitation of human trust. Today, attackers can convincingly imitate the voice of a senior executive, pose as participants in live video conferences, or support fraudulent schemes with synthetically manipulated documents. The most widely publicised deepfake-enabled attack to date cost British engineering company Arup USD 25 million. At the same time, surveys show that most people are not confident they could reliably identify deepfake content.
Regulators are also responding to this emerging threat landscape. The European Union’s AI Act introduces requirements to clearly label synthetic content, while the NIS2 Directive raises cybersecurity standards across industries. Vodafone is developing its project in close dialogue with the Czech Telecommunications Office (ČTÚ) on future standards for protection against AI-generated fraud. Vodafone’s ambition is not only to comply with these standards but also to actively contribute to shaping them, drawing on its experience and expertise in cybersecurity and communications.
“Generative AI has changed the economics of fraud: attacks that once required solid expertise and human capacities are now cheap, scalable and way more sophisticated. Our responsibility as an operator is to change the economics of defense in the same way. That is why we are among the first in Europe to bring real-time deepfake detection to our customers — from a mobile app to the network layer,” says Violeta Luca, CEO of Vodafone Czech Republic.
“Deepfakes, synthetic identities, and AI generated fraud represent one of the greatest security challenges of the digital age. Protecting the authenticity of human communication is becoming a new category of digital security. We greatly value the trust Vodafone has placed in us and appreciate its ambition to be among the first telecom operators actively addressing this issue and helping shape future standards for trusted communication in the age of artificial intelligence,” says Lukáš Foral, CEO andco-founder of Synhawk.
Through the partnership with Synhawk, Vodafone will offer protection on three levels: a mobile app for verifying digital content (Vodafone Verify), a service securing online meetings (Vodafone Verify Meetings) and, in future, detection built directly into the operator’s network (Vodafone Verify Network).
“The nature and speed of AI powered fraud are challenging the assumptions on which conventional communication security has traditionally been built. Effective protection must be grounded in continuous research and integrated directly into the infrastructure layer where communication takes place, which makes Vodafone a natural partner. We have developed foundation models that analyze all available context, and assess the overall integrity of a signal as it travels across the network.
Vodafone Verify: App for Verifying Digital Content
The Vodafone Verify mobile application includes tools for verifying digital content and identities, helping users navigate an environment increasingly flooded by synthetic and manipulated content.
The solution is based on on-device verification, enabling users to analyze various types of content, including voice messages received through communication apps such as WhatsApp and Messenger, as well as photos and videos. This allows people to quickly assess the trustworthiness of content before responding to it. As a result, users can avoid scams such as fake requests for money purportedly sent by family members or fraudulent attempts carried out during business transactions.
The application will be available for both Android and iOS devices. Vodafone plans to offer it to all customers, including businesses and public institutions, during the autumn.
Vodafone Verify Meetings: Secure Online Meetings
Vodafone Verify Meetings is designed to address real world business risks in real time, including fake executive instructions, customer service fraud, and other forms of manipulation during video conferences.
The solution uses a dedicated cloud-based AI agent to provide assurance that participants are genuinely who they claim to be. It effectively protects meeting participants against AI driven deepfake threats while also helping organizations meet regulatory requirements for secure communications and prepare for emerging cybersecurity and digital identity standards.
The service is intended for entrepreneurs, businesses, and public institutions and is scheduled to launch in the coming year.
Vodafone Verify Network: The Secure Network of the Future
Vodafone Verify Network represents a future technology designed to protect phone calls against AI-generated deepfake voices directly within the operator’s network.
The technology will enable customers to receive warnings during a call if the caller’s voice appears to have been synthetically altered. Together, Vodafone and Synhawk are developing an automated solution to combat the next generation of fraud powered by so called AI farms.
The future deployment of this technology aims to protect individuals, particularly the most vulnerable, as well as businesses, before the widespread damage associated with previous fraud waves such as caller ID spoofing and fraudulent calls, often originating from abroad, can be repeated.
The project will be developed in dialogue with the Czech Telecommunications Office regarding future standards for protection against AI generated fraud.