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Nov 9, 2023
Image-based sexual abuse, nonconsensual deepfake porn, revenge pornography – whatever term is used, the fact is that these types of artificial intelligence-generated pictures and videos are spreading across the internet at an alarming rate.
We’ve covered this subject on many occasions via the Dordulian Law Group blog:
A new documentary – “Another Body” – which premiered at the SXSW Festival further explores the increasing threat of online deepfake pornography through firsthand survivor accounts.
According to the film, “deepfakes are doubling every six months.” Additionally, researchers predict there will be over 5.2 million nonconsensual deepfakes across the internet by 2024, with women being depicted in 90% of that content.
According to WIRED Magazine, deepfake porn uses machine learning to morph someone’s head into pornography without their permission.
“The technology has consistently been used to abuse and harass women,” WIRED said, adding that “the number of nonconsensual deepfake porn videos is growing at an exponential rate, fueled by the advancement of AI technologies and an expanding deepfake ecosystem.”
And the Hollywood Reporter notes that, “Deepfake images, made by motion graphic software that seamlessly morphs faces until the average viewer can’t tell who’s real or fake in a video, have the power to change the social and political landscape forever.”
“Another Body” tells the story of Taylor Klein, a young engineering college student who searches for justice after her likeness has been stolen for use in deepfake porn content.
“Through dramatic recreations of instant message chats, we see an acquaintance alert Taylor to the fact that her face (on someone else’s body) has been plastered all over Pornhub – along with her real name, real college location and her supposed desire to meet up with Internet randos. Taylor had noticed something weird was going on weeks before, as strangers had started messaging her on Instagram with provocative come-ons. Naturally, she’s shocked and humiliated when she sees herself essentially doxxed in a way that could invite predators to come seek her, terrified that someone could just show up at her dorm room to assault her. She is also concerned this could ruin her chances of getting a good job after she graduates,” according to the Hollywood Reporter’s film review.
As is often the case with victims of deepfake and revenge porn, the varying state and federal laws often make the process of seeking justice for this type of crime a labyrinth of red tape and roadblocks.
As the Hollywood Reporter notes, Klein faces a number of hurdles throughout the film:
Eventually, Klein discovers that the same deepfake nightmare has also happened to one of her classmates, Julia.
“The two young women team up to figure out who among their mutuals would have the technical skills and motivation to hurt them,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Directed by Sophie Compton and Reuben Hamlyn, “Another Body” won the IDA Enterprise Award for journalistic practice. A fall a theatrical release in New York, Los Angeles, and throughout major markets in the U.S. has been planned. The film is also currently available on Apple TV.
An investigative report from WIRED confirmed the following revenge porn and deepfake statistics:
“These startling figures are just a snapshot of how colossal the issues with nonconsensual deepfakes has become – the full scale of the problem is much larger and encompasses other types of manipulated imagery. A whole industry of deepfake abuse, which predominantly targets women and is produced without people’s consent or knowledge, has emerged in recent years. Face-swapping apps that work on still images and apps where clothes can be ‘stripped off a person’ in a photo with just a few clicks are also highly prominent. There are likely millions of images being created with these apps,” according to WIRED.
“This is something that targets everyday people, everyday high school students, everyday adults-it’s become a daily occurrence,” Sophie Maddocks, who conducts research on digital rights and cyber-sexual violence at the University of Pennsylvania, told WIRED.
“It would make a lot of difference if we were able to make these technologies harder to access. It shouldn’t take two seconds to potentially incite a sex crime,” she added.
In November 2022, DLG’s Founder and President, Sam Dordulian, appeared on the Dr. Phil Show with survivors of revenge porn to discuss civil legal options which exist in California and throughout the U.S. One of the survivors who appeared with Dordulian – Uldouz Wallace – has created a bill known as the Protect Act which is currently making its way through Congress. The bill aims to protect everyone from image-based sexual abuse while holding social media platforms and websites accountable for their content.
“As AI’s capacity has expanded, I’ve been inundated with clients seeking legal representation for everything from revenge porn to deepfakes and all other types of image-based sexual abuse. It is always a harrowing experience for victims, but it’s important to know that help is available and we can pursue justice through civil litigation that seeks to hold individual perpetrators and companies that host this type of content accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Dordulian said.
Dordulian Law Group (DLG) offers free and confidential consultations for victims of deepfakes, nonconsensual pornography (revenge porn), as well as all forms of image-based child sexual abuse (IBSA) and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Contact a member of our dedicated team today for a free and confidential consultation by calling 866-GO-SEE-SAM.
Founded by former sex crimes prosecutor Sam Dordulian, DLG offers survivors a unique 24/7 network known as the SAJE Team (Sexual Assault Justice Experts) featuring expert deepfake porn attorneys as well as an all-encompassing staff of support professionals:
Our Sexual Assault Justice Experts are here to help survivors secure justice. Contact our top-rated attorneys online or by phone for a free consultation today.
If you’re a victim of deepfake or revenge porn looking to obtain justice against your perpetrator, contact DLG today at 866-GO-SEE-SAM. There is no upfront cost for our expert legal representation – our NO WIN/NO FEE GUARANTEE means you pay nothing unless we recover a maximum financial damages award for your case.
Dordulian Law Group is a full-service sexual assault, abuse, and image-based nonconsensual revenge porn firm founded by Sam Dordulian, a former sex crimes prosecutor in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and member of RAINN’s National Leadership Council.
Sam Dordulian is an award-winning sexual abuse lawyer with over 25 years' experience helping survivors secure justice. As a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for L.A. County, he secured life sentences against countless sexual predators. Mr. Dordulian currently serves on the National Leadership Council for RAINN.
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