Deepfake creators sell nonconsensual video on ‘hidden’ websites
Fake sexually explicit videos of celebrity women from around the world are still being bought and using Mastercard and Visa credit cards.
Fake sexually explicit videos of celebrity women from around the world are still being bought and using Mastercard and Visa credit cards, even though the credit card companies have said the transactions are not allowed.
Fan-Topia, the largest subscription website for nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfakes of celebrities, advertises the ability for subscribers to pay creators for the material with Visa and Mastercard credit cards or cryptocurrency. After the site appeared to shut down major accounts on the platform following a March 2023 NBC News article, deepfake accounts have returned to Fan-Topia using “hidden links.”
The new system hides much of the deepfake content and creators from public view, while facilitating payments for the material.
Deepfakes typically refer to misleading digital media created with artificial intelligence tools, like AI models and applications that allow users to “face-swap” a target’s face with one in a pornographic video. Deepfake videos overwhelmingly feature women and girls in nonconsensual sexually explicit material. While many of the victims are public figures, deepfakes have also been used to victimize girls in schools worldwide. More sexually explicit deepfake videos were uploaded to the internet in 2023 than any other year, according to data collected by independent researcher Genevieve Oh.
An NBC News search of MrDeepFakes, the most popular free streaming website for sexually explicit deepfakes of celebrities, found that at least 18 top creators are promoting “hidden links” to Fan-Topia pages where they sell longer versions of their content. Ten of the creators using the “hidden links” uploaded teasers on the free website within the past 24 hours.
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