This new deepfake bot on Telegram is being used by sex addicts & predators to undress mostly underaged women.
The deepfake bot works in a simple way. Users can submit any picture of a woman through the Telegram desktop or mobile app, and the bot will recreate a nude photo in a few minutes. What's more alarming is that the bot is entirely free, although users may pay $1.50 to remove the watermark or speed up the process.
A new report by Sensity's AI confirms that at least over 680,000 women, mostly underaged, had been targeted by the end of July 2020. Seventy percent of the target's pictures are taken from social media accounts or private materials.
"Usually it's young girls," says Giorgio Patrini, the CEO and chief scientist of Sensity. "Unfortunately, sometimes, it's also quite obvious that some of these people are underage."
The report also reveals that the bot and its affiliated channels on Telegram have at least 101,000 members worldwide. About 70 percent comes from Russia and ex-Soviet countries. Sixty-three percent of the target is familiar girls whom the users know in real life. Others are celebrities, Hollywood stars, or even models from Instagram.
Not The First Time
This is not the first time a deepfake bot is used to please underage predators.
Back in 2019, a similar app called DeepNude embraces similar technology. The app, which costs $50 for its premium version, lets its users undress any woman in a single click by swapping clothes with breasts and vulva.
DeepNude was a controversial subject until the developer, a programmer codenamed Alberto, decided to stop its operation for good and take down the app.
Speaking to Vice, the self-proclaimed 'technology enthusiast' said that he's never expected the app to go viral or even make money off it. That way, he questioned his morality, apologized, and pulled the app from any platform for good.
The same GANs technology is also used on the website called This Person Does Not Exist. But instead of stripping off women, it generates an ultra-realistic portrait of a non-existent person using the algorithm in just one click.
How to Spot Deepfakes
Without realizing, we also live in a world swarmed with deepfakes. Instagram and Snapchat are competing in creating the most interactive face filter, and those even count as a deepfake technology.
It's pretty simple to spot deepfakes from the real ones. If it's a video, bad lip-syncs are everywhere, and deepfake faces don't blink normally. Jewelry isn't always recognized by the AI, so that's something you may want to search for the lookout. The lackluster quality of the image and strange lighting effect can also be the indicator.
If you're interested, take the test here or visit SpotDeepFakes.org for more information.
