A young woman, who goes by the name Jodie to protect her identity, recently shared her shocking experience of discovering that someone had been creating deepfake pornography using her face online. The victim revealed to the BBC’s File on 4 that she received manipulated images and a video of herself engaging in sexual acts with multiple men, all fabricated using advanced video technology.
Deepfaking, the process of superimposing one person’s face onto another’s using computer editing software, can produce realistic and misleading content that is often used for spreading misinformation or malicious purposes. In Jodie’s case, her face was digitally altered onto another woman’s body in explicit videos, and she found out that someone had uploaded her photos to a porn site, requesting others to create deepfakes of her in exchange for more personal information.
This distressing incident in 2021 left Jodie “screaming and crying,” as she feared for her future career. It followed years of online harassment from strangers who made derogatory comments about her appearance on Reddit, used her images to deceive people on dating apps, and even posted explicit pictures of her and her friends on Twitter during lockdown. Alongside her friend Daisy, Jodie compiled a list of potential suspects and was shocked to discover that the only person she had shared the incriminating picture with was her close friend, Alex Woolf.
Alex, a former BBC Young Composer of the Year winner and Mastermind contestant, had been a supportive figure in Jodie’s life, understanding the challenges women face online. However, undeniable evidence linked him to the creation of deepfakes, resulting in his conviction for offensive communications. Despite denying any involvement in the previous harassment campaign, Alex expressed deep remorse for his actions and acknowledged the harm he caused.
Jodie is now advocating for new legislation to address the issue of requesting others to create deepfakes, emphasizing the need for stronger laws and measures to prevent such harmful behavior. While Reddit has taken action by banning certain subreddits related to non-consensual intimate media, Twitter (now known as X) has yet to comment on the matter.