The headline says it all – Google and Bing put nonconsensual deepfake porn at the top of some search results.
Imagine going for a job interview or trying to schedule a business meeting when this is all people see when they google you.
This is everyone’s worst nightmare.
Not only is it a horrible violation of privacy but the images are fake.
Do you think people will be interested in your explanation, that is if they even give you the time of day to allow you to talk to them?
It doesn’t matter who you are – this can destroy your online reputation overnight and turn you from a respectable member of society into a pariah. Not just that, it will also turn your family into outcasts.
It’s not good enough for Google to talk about a reporting process. Getting the photo removed from the internet is good, but how much does it help if your life is already in tatters.
Google has to focus on prevention and not a cure. There shouldn’t be the ability for these images to rank highly.
And there have to be significant penalties for anyone creating or uploading such images online. If there the risk of serious prison time and the perpetrator named and shamed for doing so, they may think twice about this.
Then there is AI.
AI may be good for some things but it also can be the cause of a lot of damage. Sticking a colleague’s head on a naked body may seem like a joke but it can ruin lives and leave a wake of destruction behind.
People have killed themselves because revenge porn about them was posted online and you can imagine people would also do this if deep fake porn purporting to be them was posted. They wouldn’t be able to live with the shame and humiliation and so not living would seem like a better option.
If there is no way to stamp out and eliminate it being created, then the next best thing is to prevent it appearing prominently.
It’s not good enough for Google to throw its hands up in the air. They need to work out a solution that will protect people.
Picture – https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-typewriter-with-the-word-deepfake-on-it-18548430/