US Lawsuit Targets AI ‘Deepfake’ Websites Exploiting Women

The office of San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu filed a lawsuit against the owners of 16 of the world’s largest websites that use AI to “undress” women and girls in photos without their consent.

The document cites violations of state and federal laws concerning deepfake pornography, revenge porn, and materials related to child sexual abuse.

“[…] Generative AI holds great promise, but as with all new technologies, there are unforeseen consequences and criminals eager to exploit the new technology for their own ends. We must be clear that this is not innovation — it is sexual violence,” Chiu stated.

The websites involved offer user-friendly interfaces for uploading photos of clothed women and girls to create realistic pornographic versions. These images, nearly indistinguishable from real ones, are used for extortion, intimidation, threats, and humiliation, according to the statement.

In total, the sites were visited over 200 million times in the first half of 2024. Some allow the creation of images only of adults, while others do not block requests when uploading images of children.

Authorities are demanding the removal of the websites, fines, and a court order to prevent future illegal activities.

Earlier, Google intensified its fight against deepfake pornography.

Back in February, Vitalik Buterin provided guidance on detecting deepfakes.

Read more on combating deepfakes and extortion on ForkLog in the News+ format: