Meta has acted to eliminate a slew of advertisements promoting “nudify” apps, which utilize artificial intelligence to generate sexually explicit deepfake images, following a CBS News investigation that revealed hundreds of such ads across its platforms. The company’s spokesperson affirmed their commitment to combat non-consensual intimate imagery, stating they had removed the ads, deleted the responsible pages, and blocked the associated URLs.
The investigation identified numerous ads on Instagram Stories encouraging users to upload photos with the tagline of allowing them to “see anyone naked.” Various advertisements showcased sexualized deepfake images of celebrities like Scarlett Johansson and Anne Hathaway to entice users. Reports also noted that many ads led to websites offering features to animate images for sexual content, with some applications charging users between $20 and $80 for premium services.
The analysis highlighted the prevalence of these ads, which spanned multiple Meta and Facebook platforms, including Threads and Messenger, and were primarily targeted towards men aged 18 to 65 across the United States, European Union, and the United Kingdom. Despite Meta’s removal actions, reports showed that similar ads resurfaced on Instagram.
Deepfakes, which are AI-generated content altered to misrepresent individuals, pose significant ethical issues, particularly concerning consent. Recently, President Trump signed the bipartisan “Take It Down Act,” mandating the removal of deepfake content within 48 hours of notification from victims, thus addressing non-consensual dissemination of intimate material.
Despite existing policies prohibiting such content on Meta’s platforms, the upcoming challenges in identifying and blocking these exploitative apps were highlighted. Alexios Mantzarlis from Cornell University noted a troubling surge in the availability of these ads across multiple platforms and criticized the lack of commitment from Meta’s higher management to effectively tackle these emerging threats.
This issue has raised serious questions about user safety online, particularly for minors, as some websites associated with “nudify” apps lack necessary age verification processes. Past analyses indicated that a significant number of young people interact with deepfake content, emphasizing the need for stricter measures and industry-wide collaboration to protect vulnerable users.
While it’s disconcerting to see such invasive tools proliferate, there remains a glimmer of hope with the increasing awareness and legal actions being taken to confront these challenges, allowing the tech industry to prioritize the safety and consent of its users.