For several years, there have been reports of people being unwittingly transformed into pornographic actors using deepfakes. The new episode of the MDR reporting series “Exactly” now takes a closer look at the dangers of AI technology.
How dangerous are deepfakes? The MDR report provides information
Whether it is Scarlett Johansson, Gal Gadot or Tom Cruise, the three American actors have been victims of what are called deepfakes. A treacherous cyber scam in which a person's face, including their facial expressions, is scanned and then transferred to another body.
Pornographic deepfakes of celebrities and non-celebrities in particular have recently become increasingly prevalent, as fake video recordings can now be easily created using a smartphone app. The MDR is now taking advantage of the growing topicality of the subject to “specifically” devote an episode of its series of reports to the perfidious technology of AI and to highlight the real danger of deepfakes for society.
Sophie, the person directly affected, also has a say in the show, which was blackmailed with such false content. She says: “At a certain point, I no longer had the strength to fight against it. I then deleted all my social media profiles.
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Streamer reports lack of support from judiciary
Famous Twitch streamer Shurjoka (real name Pia Scholz) had a similar experience to Sophie. She describes: “People take power over me as a person, over my body, against my will and impose their fantasies on me. » The large amount of material would make her powerless.
Shurjoka also emphasizes that she feels abandoned by the justice system. And this is no coincidence, as Joséphine Ballon knows. The lawyer who examines the legal aspect of deepfakes in the report says: “It is suggested that the state is not interested in so-called nude photos of you circulating in public. You can report it, and somehow it's reflected in the law, but it's almost never prosecuted.
In Germany, only laws can be applied indirectly to pornographic deepfakes, for example image rights. However, there are no laws that explicitly prohibit the creation and distribution of deepfakes. Ballon believes this is a loophole in the law.
The “exactly” deepfake report is available since September 18, 2023 ARD Media Library available. The film can also be viewed on the “MDR investigation” YouTube channel.
Sex deepfakes are on the rise and porn sites aren't doing much to stop them
