What is a 'Deepfake'?
This is where technology is used to import an image of a face onto the body of a sexual image to make the image appear sexual. This might sometimes be referred to as 'photoshopped sexual image'.
This article from The Guardian explains a little more about the technology used, if you're interested!
Example case study
To put this into context, here are some example case studies of how this might play out in real-life scenarios.
Anna's Facebook profile image has been screenshotted and her face cropped from the image. Someone has used photo editing software to superimpose the image of her face onto an image of a naked body of a different person.
Chloe is being harassed by an ex-partner on Instagram messenger. He has used photo editing software to create images that appear to show her performing sexual acts. He threatens to share these with her family.
Tom is a social media influencer, his friend has alerted him to a video he found online. The video shows Tom’s face superimposed onto a man’s body in a pornographic video. His online following believe his nude videos have been leaked.
Is this against the law?
Images that have been edited to become sexual of nature are not included under the law in England and Wales, but in Scotland, it is included under the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016.
What to do if a Deepfake is created of you
Take screenshots of the deepfake images which have been created. Try and include the URL (website address) if possible, times and dates of when it when posts were made, and any details of the page.
We understand that the first reaction you may have is to want to delete all the content immediately. This is your choice, but we do advise that if you want to seek legal action it may be best to contact the police first before reporting the content and risk having evidence removed prematurely.
As Deepfake imagery is not against the law everywhere, it may be that the website where it has been shared actually allows this content to be shared. You can check the terms of the site, usually at the bottom of the page, and if they do not allow deepfakes (sometimes called 'edited/photoshopped' images), then you can report it to the site.
Most social media platforms do not allow any nude content so this will include deepfakes if the image has been edited to make an image sexual, you can find out how to report these to platforms here.
We understand how distressing online crimes can be and encourage all victims to reach out and get extra support if they need it. You’re not alone and help is out there.