Hundreds of British celebrities are the victims of deepfake porn, an investigation by Channel 4 News has found. The report uncovered that at least 250 British celebrities appeared in deepfake videos, meaning their faces had been imposed on pornographic images.
This year, GLAMOUR partnered with Greg Clark, the Conservative MP for Tunbridge Wells, and Refuge, the largest domestic abuse services provider in the UK, to host a parliamentary roundtable about the threat of deepfake technology to women.
We were joined by Cally Jane Beech, who rose to fame as a Love Island contestant in 2015. Earlier this year, Cally was made aware that deepfake pornographic images of herself were circulating online. When she attempted to have the images removed, she encountered resistance at every step of the process, from the website hosting the images to the police.
At GLAMOUR's roundtable, Cally read out a powerful letter about the impact of this ordeal and why she's bravely using her platform to stop this from happening to other women and girls.
Here, Cally exclusively shares her letter with GLAMOUR:
I sit before you today, determined to shed light on a disturbing reality that has affected not only myself but countless others in this digital age.
I was recently confronted with an experience that shook me to my core. My privacy, dignity, and identity were compromised by the malicious use of artificial intelligence.
I became a victim of AI deep fakes. A mere photograph, innocently taken, had been distorted.
My underwear was stripped away, and a nude body was imposed in its place and uploaded onto the internet without my consent.
The likeness of this image was so realistic that anyone with fresh eyes would assume this AI generated image was real when it wasn’t, nevertheless I still felt extremely violated.
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In response, I swiftly took to my Instagram, clarifying to all who would listen that this image was not real.
Yet, to my surprise I was met with the flood of messages from individuals who had endured similar ordeals.
One post simply requested ‘F*cked on her back please’ alongside an image of a woman fully clothed, holding a baby.
I swiftly learnt that many other people had been affected by this too, one of them being a 14-year-old school girl whose nudified images of her were sent around school as a bullying tactic. Being a mother myself, I realised this is something I needed to bring more awareness to with the hopes of strengthening the legalities and laws around this issue.
I reached out to the website, requesting the immediate removal of the image. However, I encountered resistance, and the process was not as easy as I thought it would be. They also refused to disclose the IP address or details of the individual responsible for creating it. I also reported the image to the police, hoping for fast resolution, only to discover that existing laws do not support AI-generated content.
Despite the mental strain of this ordeal, I remained persistent and determined not to give up. Fortunately, after some time, the image was eventually removed.
“The repercussions of AI deepfakes extend far beyond embarrassment or inconvenience. They deeply affect our mental well-being and livelihoods.”
The repercussions of AI deep fakes extend far beyond embarrassment or inconvenience. They deeply affect our mental well-being and livelihoods. Imagine the anguish of having your likeness manipulated in such a degrading manner, the repercussions of which can haunt individuals for years to come. Furthermore, the potential impact on one's career and personal relationships cannot be emphasised enough.
With my platform, I recognise the responsibility I bear to amplify this issue. However, my concern extends beyond myself to the vulnerable among us, particularly young girls in secondary schools. The thought that they, too, may fall prey to such digital exploitation is utterly disheartening. We owe it to them, to ourselves, to take decisive action.
We cannot idly stand by as technology is used as a tool against our fundamental rights to privacy and dignity. More must be done to safeguard individuals from the threat of AI deepfakes. Platforms that host such content must be held accountable, and measures must be implemented to ensure their removal.
I urge each of you to stand with me in bringing attention to this urgent matter. Together, we can and must combat the plague of AI deep fakes, for the sake of our present and future generations.
The Revenge Porn Helpline provides advice, guidance and support to victims of intimate image abuse over the age of 18 who live in the UK. You can call them on 0345 6000 459.
