Deepfakes as Multimodal Semiotic Signs: Iconic, Indexical, and Symbolic Dimensions in Nigerian Social Media
Keywords:
Multimodal Signs;, Deepfakes, Nigerian Elections, Peircean Semiotics, Public TrustAbstract
This study examines deepfakes as multimodal semiotic signs operating simultaneously through iconic, indexical, and symbolic dimensions in Nigerian social media. Employing Peirce's triadic theory, it investigates how deepfakes generate meaning and erode public trust by exploiting fundamental processes of human meaningmaking. Through semiotic content analysis of 20 deepfake samples circulated on WhatsApp and Facebook during Nigeria's 2023 general elections, combined with recognition testing among 420 participants in Ondo and Bayelsa States, this study demonstrates the stratified semiotic sophistication that distinguishes deepfakes from conventional misinformation. Results reveal remarkably high communicative effectiveness across all three semiotic dimensions: 82.3% accuracy in iconic recognition (visual and auditory similarity to target personalities), 76.1% success in indexical interpretation (understanding fabricated character associations and causal relationships), and 71.8% accuracy in symbolic comprehension (decoding culturally encoded meanings, ethnic symbolism, and political narratives). This multimodal semiotic operation creates layered plausibility structures that prove extremely resistant to detection and critical evaluation. The findings document severe trust erosion in Nigeria's digital information ecosystem, with only 18% of respondents expressing trust in social media information, while 76% reported declining trust over the past year. Paradoxically, interpersonal trust (67%) remains significantly higher than institutional trust (8% for WhatsApp groups, 11% for Facebook), creating vulnerabilities as deepfakes circulate through trusted social networks. The study reveals how deepfakes exploit visual evidence bias, transform social capital into misinformation transmission channels, and generate persistent reputational damage even after exposure - the "liar's dividend" phenomenon. These semiotic operations pose acute threats to democratic processes, with 94% of participants perceiving deepfakes as threatening fair elections in Nigeria's multilingual, culturally diverse information landscapes.
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