Investigative reporter Patrizia Schlosser targeted in deepfake porn attack

A German investigative reporter was targeted with deepfake pornography images that depicted her in explicit and degrading scenarios, inflicting deep shock and prompting concerns about a notorious deepfake porn platform on which the manipulated images of her were discovered. What happened Patrizia Schlosser discovered approximately 30 degrading sexualised images of herself on MrDeepFakes, a notorious deepfake pornographic website known for hosting a vast array of similar content. D espite knowing the images were fabricated, Schlosser says she expressed deep feelings of shock and shame upon discovering the images and decided to confront the situation by attempting to track down the individual responsible for uploading them. Working in conjunction with investigative non-profit Bellingcat and German YouTube channel STRG_F , Schlosser found MrDeepFakes hosts tens of thousands of AI videos and images, has close to 650,000 members and its content has been viewed almost two billion times. It also revealed that the site's administrators use cryptocurrency and PayPal to process payments in an attem pt to stay out of the spotlight, perhaps as they appear to be linked to Shenzhen Xinguodu Technology (aka "Nexgo"), a Chinese fintech company listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Why it happened The incident appears to be linked to Schlosser's investigative work on issues surrounding sexualised violence against women and reflects a broader trend in which women, particularly those in public roles or who report on sensitive topics, are subjected to deepfake attacks. The AI technology used allows anyone's likeness to be manipulated into explicit content using a single image, making it easy for anyone to concoct extremely unpleasant and damaging content in seconds. What it means For Schlosser and others impacted: The incident underscores the severe personal and professional ramifications of the misuse of deepfake technology, and raises serious concerns about privacy, consent and the potential for reputational harm in the digital age. For society: it highlights the difficulty in bringing to account the individuals creating malicious deepfake images, the organisations that enable their creation, and those hosting and amplifying them. System 🤖 Unknown Developer: Country: Germany Sector: Media/entertainment/sports/arts Purpose: Damage reputation Technology: Dee pfake Issue: Accountability; Impersonation; Safety; Transparency Investigations, assessments, audits 👁️ Bellingcat. Faking It: Deepfake Porn Site’s Link to Tech Companies STRG_F. MrDeepfakes: Wer steckt hinter meinen gefälschten Bildern?

Date it happened

2025-01-01

Organisation involved

MrDeepfakes

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