EASILY ABUSED

Twisted Deepfake Ads on Facebook, Instagram Use Emma Watson’s Face: Report

The advertising campaign raises thorny legal and ethical issues about the nascent technology, which is poorly regulated and easily abused.

An ad campaign for a “deepfake” video application that’s been broadcast across Facebook and Instagram over the past week uses the likeness of a number of celebrities without their consent. Many put their targets in compromising positions, including some which show a woman with the digitally rendered face of actress Emma Watson appearing to initiate a sex act, according to NBC News. The ads, which referred to the app as “DeepFake FaceSwap,” were removed from both Facebook and Instagram after the network reached out for comment. The campaign raises thorny legal and ethical issues about the nascent technology, which is poorly regulated and easily abused.