A viral video has surfaced online showing what appears to be London’s famous Big Ben on fire on Thursday, 25 January.
The video, which is not genuine, was posted on the social media platform TikTok , and has since gained over 2 million views.
It shows crowds gathered around the sight of the blaze, as firefighters attempt to put it out with water hoses.
@lumiversehq London Big Ben on fire #fire #london #uk #rek
♬ som original - ꜰᴡ.
Big Ben is one of London’s most iconic historical buildings. Also known as the Clock Tower and Elizabeth Tower, it contains a striking clock with five bells.
So, how did the hoax catch fire?
Is Big Ben on fire?
No, Big Ben is not on fire, despite the alarmingly convincing video circulating around. Many in the comments were quick to call it a hoax, some commenting: “It’s AI.”
One commentator said: “I just walked past the Big Ben; it looks fine to me.”
Another user said they were almost convinced, writing “that looked so authentic at first glance”, but after checking the news realised the video was fake.
Misinformation specialist, Seana Davis, said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Nope. Big Ben isn’t on fire. The trend of fake videos making it seem like iconic landmarks are on fire is continuing. Last week, it was the Eiffel Tower.”
🔥Nope. Big Ben isn’t on fire.
— Seana Davis (@Seana_Davis) January 25, 2024
The trend of fake videos making it seem like iconic landmarks are on fire is continuing. Last week, it was the Eiffel Tower. pic.twitter.com/iOML7adgaa
According to the UK Parliament website, the Elizabeth Tower is operating as normal.
This is not the first video depicting historical landmarks engulfed in flames to go viral this month. A similar clip of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, in flames amassed over 7 million views on social media this week.
The video labelled “for visual effects” was originally shared last year on YouTube, but resurfaced after it was picked up by TikTok users.
Fact-checkers from VerifyThis and Reuters confirmed the Eiffel Tower was not on fire and branded the viral video as false, after consulting the tower's livestream footage and the official government website.
Trend of fake videos going viral
The trend of fake videos circulating social media has been a growing concern, especially with the new emergence of deepfake technology.
Deepfakes use artificial intelligence called deep learning to manipulate videos and replace them with fake events or images. Fake videos circulate for many reasons and usually depend on relevance, timing and the emotional appeal of the content.
According to a report by the identity verification services, Sumsub, there has been a 10x increase in AI-generated deepfakes detected from 2022 to 2023.
Experts have shown concerns that these AI-generated videos are being used to spread malware.
