LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A disturbing scandal has emerged in the world of TikTok. Prominent influencers such as Addison Rae, Charli D'Amelio, and Bella Poarch have been targeted by realistic 'deepfakes' that are now circulating online. These manipulated images and videos depict the faces of these popular TikTokers imposed onto explicit pornographic content without their consent. Shockingly, these disturbing creations have been circulating on Twitter, garnering significant attention with tens of thousands of views, despite the platform's strict policies against the dissemination of non-consensual nudity.
The deepfake porn scandal has cast a dark cloud over the lives of these talented young women, who have worked tirelessly to build their careers and reputations in the realm of social media. The unauthorized use of their likenesses in explicit and degrading material not only violates their privacy but also raises serious concerns about the exploitation and harassment faced by online celebrities.
Rising deepfake menace targets TikTok stars
The emergence of 'deepfakes' featuring explicit content has caught the attention of NBC, with notable TikTok personalities like Addison Rae, Charli D'Amelio, and Bella Poarch becoming unfortunate victims. In a recent incident, a purported image of Addison Rae gained viral traction, amassing a staggering 21 million views within a few hours. The image depicted the renowned TikToker in a suggestive pose, lying seductively on a bed.
The rapid spread of such deepfakes underscores the alarming potential for manipulated content to proliferate across social media platforms. The violation of privacy and the unauthorized use of these TikTok stars' images in explicit contexts highlight the urgent need for effective measures against the creation and dissemination of such harmful content. As this disturbing trend continues to unfold, it becomes increasingly crucial to address the ethical and legal implications surrounding deepfakes, ensuring the protection and well-being of influencers and other content creators who are recognizable.
After facing significant backlash, the individual responsible for the Twitter account decided to delete the controversial tweet, as reported by NBC News. This particular account has gained notoriety for frequently sharing sexually suggestive tweets featuring genuine videos of female celebrities, which often receive substantial attention from the online community.
A Twitter user wrote, "When I was researching deepfake porn, in forums and chat rooms men were counting down the days for Charlie D’Amelio and Millie Bobby Brown to turn 18 so they could ‘legally’ deepfake them into porn. These men are sick."
Twitter failed to respond to the email containing evidence of nine accounts posting pornographic deepfakes but later suspended six of those accounts. Unfortunately, explicit deepfake content featuring Bella Poarch and explicit deepfake images involving Charli D'Amelio and her family remain accessible on the platform. Despite efforts to seek comment, representatives for Rae, D'Amelio, and Poarch did not respond, underscoring the difficulties these celebrities face in addressing and combatting the unauthorized use of their images in explicit deepfake content.
'Deepfakes: Why are they considered cause for concern?'
Deepfakes, a form of image manipulation achieved through artificial intelligence, have blurred the boundary between real and fake images, deceiving viewers into perceiving them as authentic. One distressing application of deepfakes involves the creation of explicit or pornographic content featuring celebrities. These manipulated videos or images superimpose the face of one celebrity onto the body of another, resulting in the deceptive appearance of the targeted individual engaging in explicit activities.
Despite Twitter's previous efforts to address deepfakes, the prevalence of these manipulated videos remains a persistent issue on the platform. Twitter took action in November 2021 by suspending an account that shared a sexually explicit deepfake video involving Easterling. However, the proliferation of celebrity deepfakes has surged in recent months, even as victims of deepfakes have spoken out against them. In the US, states have responded to the growing concern by enacting laws prohibiting the creation of sexually explicit nonconsensual deepfakes.
A Twitter user wrote, "The viral Addison Rae deepfake is one of dozens I’ve seen. They’re incredibly disturbing. Back in 2020 on a podcast Addison said she wouldn’t be comfortable having an OnlyFans, but men on the internet did it anyways without her consent. It’s a violation."
