THE DUBLIN RAPE Crisis Centre has expressed concerns over online advertisements in Ireland for services that let users create deepfake naked images of women.
A number of ads on Facebook, seen by The Journal, have in recent weeks promoted so-called ‘nudify’ apps which allow users to create non-consensual, fake nude images of any woman.
The apps work by asking users to upload regular clothed photos of women, and use artificial intelligence to ‘erase’ their clothing and produce a pornographic image instead.
Nudify bots have also proliferated on the messaging app Telegram, where they have been reportedly used by millions of people every month.
They normally require users to pay a fee, but ads seen by The Journal in recent weeks promoted one app that offered to produce deepfake images for free for a limited time.
One such ad claimed “this app can see through objects” and showed a video of a woman dancing with her clothes on, followed by a brief shot of the same woman apparently undressed.
Meta’s advertising policies prohibit nudity and sexual activity, as well as sexual exploitation involving non-consensual acts, and the relevant ads have since been removed.
A spokesperson for the company said that Meta removes any content in violation of its policies, but that bad actors are “constantly evolving their tactics to avoid enforcement”.
Rachel Morrogh, Chief Executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, said that she was “deeply concerned” about the capacity of deepfake images to “amplify harm to women”.
“The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre believes apps that enable the generation of deep-fake images which demean, debase and dehumanise women should not be available to download,” she told The Journal.
“The ease of access to AI tools via apps such as the one identified means that this is a form of sexual violence that is likely to become even more prevalent in the years ahead.”
She added that the widespread use of deepfake technology to create non-consensual abusive content reinforces harmful attitudes that objectify women and perpetuate gender-based violence.
The sharing of intimate images without a person’s consent, or threatening to do so, is a crime under Irish law, and carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison and an unlimited fine.
The relevant legislation, the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act, also covers the sharing of deepfake images which purport to show an intimate image of someone.
Last October, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee revealed that there has been about 100 prosecutions under the law since its introduction in 2021, though it is not known how many relate to the distribution of deepfake images.
If you have been affected by any of the issues mentioned in this article, you can reach out for support through the following helplines:
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