Reddit bans AI-powered porn videos that feature celebrity faces
What's the story
Knowledge-sharing website Reddit has banned its r/deepfakes subreddit discussion thread that created AI-powered porn videos using celebrities' faces. It was done by using the face-swapping technology and imposing celebrity images onto porn stars' bodies. Classifying it as "involuntary pornography," the website has updated its rules to ban photos and videos showing people in a nude state or indulging in sexual acts without their permission.
Information
A Redditor named 'deepfakes' started the trend
Making and posting such AI-powered porn started on Reddit last December by a Redditor named 'deepfakes.' He used a machine learning algorithm to make porn videos of many celebrities like Gal Gadot and Taylor Swift, after which the trend caught on the platform.
Details
The r/deepfakes subreddit had 90,000 subscribers
Before the subreddit was banned, r/deepfakes had around 90,000 subscribers. Along with it, Reddit has also shut down several other communities indulging in deepfake porn like r/YouTubefakes, r/CelebFakes, and the subreddit that collected NSFW (not safe for work) deepfake images. "Communities focused on this content and users who post such content will be banned from the website," Reddit said.
Solution
Will take action based on user reports: Reddit
Explaining how the website would keep track of future deepfake subreddits, Reddit said, "First-party reports are always the best way for us to tell. If you see involuntary content of yourself, please report it." It also added, "For other situations, we take them on a case-by-case basis and take context into account."
Information
Reddit is not the only website to ban AI-powered porn
Twitter has banned deepfake porn accounts that were either originally posting AI-powered porn videos or were dedicated to spreading face-swapped porn clips on the micro-blogging website. Other platforms like Pornhub, Discord, and Gfycat have also taken a stand against non-consensual porn and banned deepfake content.