A recent study by ISD, covered by 404 Media, found that searches on Google, Yahoo and Bing for terms like “deepnude,” “nudify,” and “undress app” led users straight to tools for creating non-consensual sexually explicit images (SIIA) within the first 20 results. The research examined 31 websites offering these tools, which together drew over 21 million monthly visits. Social media platforms—including X, Reddit, Bluesky, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram and Facebook—were found to host 410,592 mentions of these tools and websites, with X accounting for more than 70% of the activity, over a five-year period. Much of the activity was from bots. “A large volume of traffic appeared to be inorganic, based on the repetitive style of the usernames, the uniformity of posts, and the uniformity of profile pictures,” co-author Anne Craanen told 404 Media. “Nevertheless, this activity remains concerning, as its volume is likely to attract new users to these tools, which can be employed for activities that are illegal in several contexts.”
via isd: Deepfake image creation tools found across search engines and social media
siehe auch: The ecosystem of nonconsensual intimate deepfake tools online. This Dispatch explores an ecosystem of users on adult discussion forums, search engines, 4chan and X (formerly Twitter) which promotes and sells access to tools for creating “deepfakes”—sexualised or explicit images overwhelmingly of women and, increasingly, minors. Synthetic intimate image abuse (SIIA) has received years of media attention and public outcry, but sites promoting these tools continue to receive millions of monthly visits. Tackling this issue on a larger scale than individual posts, tools and users is necessary for an ecosystem which maintains massive and enduring reach despite moderation efforts. Rather, this Dispatch envisions an approach that considers the life cycle of SIIA media, aiming to mitigate harm not after it is distributed, but at the point when tools to create it are first sought. Understanding the accessibility of SIIA-creation tools is key to effectively limiting widespread and high-impact harms. As of May, our analysis found 31 active SIIA tools easily discoverable on X, 4chan and common search engines. These tools can create realistic, explicit deepfakes from a single photo with the potential for social exclusion, job discrimination, and debilitating emotional stress for victims–especially those in public positions—and in some cases has led to death by suicide. Even when tools are removed, new versions are quickly uploaded (often trading off the notoriety of now defunct products). This Dispatch concludes with an analysis of proposed European and North American policies to combat SIIA tools. It recommends greater content-removal efforts on large platforms such as X and 4chan, and the removal of websites which host SIIA tools from search results. It also considers the banning of nudification apps in the first place.