Claim 1:
A viral six-second video circulating on social media claims that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the arrest of a “Pakistani-origin terrorist” linked to the Bondi Beach attack and imposed a complete suspension of visas for Pakistani citizens.
Fact Check:
This claim is false. The video’s audio has been manipulated using artificial intelligence. The original footage is from a press conference held on August 3, 2022 almost a year before the Bondi Beach attack during which Prime Minister Albanese spoke about climate change. The full 15-minute briefing contains no reference to terrorism, Pakistan, or visa restrictions. Analysis by the deepfake detection tool Hiya rated the audio authenticity at 1 out of 100, indicating a high likelihood of synthetic manipulation. Moreover, no reputable Australian media outlet has reported any such statement or policy decision by the prime minister.
Verdict: False. The video uses AI-generated audio over unrelated, old footage to spread a misleading narrative.
Claim 2:
A 20-second video circulating online allegedly shows people in Pakistan celebrating the Bondi Beach attack.
Fact Check:
This claim is also false. The video predates the Bondi Beach incident and has been publicly available online since 2023. Multiple social media users shared the same footage last year, confirming that it has no connection to the recent attack in Australia.
Verdict: False. The video is old and has been falsely linked to the Bondi Beach attack to provoke outrage and misinformation.
Overall Verdict: Both viral videos are misleading and falsely associate Pakistan with the Bondi Beach attack. One relies on AI-generated audio, while the other recycles unrelated, older footage. There is no evidence linking Pakistan or Pakistani citizens to the incident.
