South African Police Service warns against AI-generated uniform images

The South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Free State has issued a warning against the use of artificial intelligence and face-swapping applications to create realistic images of individuals in police uniforms or appearing to be under arrest.

Authorities noted that while such images may appear to be harmless fun, they can be mistaken for real photographs and used to mislead, deceive, or embarrass others. SAPS emphasized that impersonating a police official is a criminal offense under Section 68 of the South African Police Service Act 68 of 1995. Additionally, Section 66 regulates the unauthorized use of uniforms, badges, and insignia.

The SAPS emblem and badge are legally protected and cannot be copied or altered without permission. The warning extends to SAPS members, who are restricted by National Instruction 5 of 2017 regarding the use of uniforms and insignia on private social media accounts.