Leaks controversy: Imsha Rehman breaks silence as FIA arrests accused

Months after finding herself in the midst of a video leaks controversy, TikToker Imsha Rehman has finally broken silence and revealed that the culprit who released her “fake videos” had been arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Imsha, a popular social media star with over 200,000 followers on TikTok, had in November last year deleted her account after viral videos allegedly showed her sharing an intimate moment with an unidentified person. The alleged leaks had come within days of similar videos of TikToker Manahil Malik, sparking widespread criticism over the internet.

“The videos circulating online were fake and purposely spread to harm me,” she said in her maiden interview since after disappearing from spotlight. The situation, Imsha said, affected her deeply and she could no longer go to the university or face people.

The social media influencer revealed that she had even received death threats, and called netizens out over the prevalent culture where people don’t find it problematic to produce or share such content. “People think it's cool to share others' videos without understanding the damage it can cause.”

Imsha said that instead of releasing a video statement back in November, she chose to take legal action against the culprit, which has led to the arrest of an accused. Praising the FIA (FIA) for its help, she confirmed that the agency had in its custody the man who allegedly produced and shared the videos.

It merits a mention that the videos in question were not the only of their kind as multiple other social media celebrities were also targeted.

Imsha became the latest victim of social media leaks when at least two controversial videos of her went viral on November 11, 2024. The videos, which seemed to show the social media influencer sharing an intimate moment with a male friend, sparked strong reactions from people online. Many expressed concern over the growing number of cases involving digital privacy violations.

Earlier, Imsha has not yet given an official statement but deactivated her social media accounts on Instagram, Tiktok, Snapchat, and Facebook. She posted a message on her Instagram saying, “Jab tak video viral hai mein ne id off kar di hai [I have deactivated my accounts for as long as the video is doing the rounds].”

Social media activists and other influencers also called for the removal of the viral videos and urged people to respond more compassionately to such sensitive situations.

The alleged leaks had not only brought to fore the menace of deepfakes but also highlighted issues of privacy violations and the responsibility of social media platforms to protect users' content.