Fake nude photography is the creation of nude photographs designed to appear as genuine nudes of an individual.[1][2] The motivations for the creation of these modified photographs include sexual gratification, the stigmatization or embarrassment of the subject, and commercial gain, such as through the sale of the photographs via pornographic websites.[1][3][4][5][6] Fakes can be created using image editing software or through machine learning. Fake pornographic images created using the latter method are called deepfakes.
Many websites host fake nude and pornographic photos of celebrities, which are sometimes referred to as celebrity fakes. Magazines such as Celebrity Skin, which published paparazzi shots and illicitly obtained nude photos, have been cited as precursors to this phenomenon.[7] In the 1990s and 2000s, fake nude images of celebrities proliferated on Usenet and other websites, leading to campaigns to take legal action against the creators of the images[8][9] and websites dedicated to determining the veracity of nude photos.[10] "Deepfakes", which use artificial neural networks to superimpose a person's face into a pornographic image or video, were popularized in the late 2010s, leading to concerns about the technology's use in fake news and revenge porn.[11][12]
Purposes
"They are fake nudes, altered in Photoshop, and it is one of many tactics that has been used to silence me,"
Diane Rwigara.[6]
—CNN
The reasons for the creation of nude photos may range from a need to discredit the target publicly, personal hatred for the target, or the promise of pecuniary gains for such work on the part of the creator of such photos.[1][3][4]
Fake nude photos often target prominent figures such as businesspeople or politicians.[6] This is the case for candidate for Rwanda's presidential election in 2017, Diane Rwigara.[6]
Notable cases
In 2010, 97 people were arrested in Korea after spreading fake nude pictures of the group Girls' Generation on the internet.[13] In 2011, a 53-year-old Incheon man was arrested after spreading more fake pictures of the same group.[14][15][16]
In 2012, South Korean police identified 157 Korean artists of whom fake nudes were circulating.[17]
In 2012, when Liu Yifei's fake nude photography released on the network, Liu Yifei Red Star Land Company declared a legal search to find out who created and released the photos.[18][19]
In the same year, Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming released nude photos that sparked public controversy, but they were ultimately proven to be real pictures.[20]
In 2014, supermodel Kate Upton threatened to sue a website for posting her fake nude photos.[21] Previously, in 2011, this page was threatened by Taylor Swift.[22]
In November 2014, singer Bi Rain was angry because of a fake nude photo that spread throughout the internet. Information reveals that: "Rain's nude photo was released from Kim Tae-hee's lost phone." Rain's label, Cube Entertainment, stated that the person in the nude photo is not Rain and the company has since stated that it will take strict legal action against those who post photos together with false comments.[23][24]
In July 2018, Seoul police launched an investigation after a fake nude photo of President Moon Jae-in was posted on the website of the Korean radical feminist group WOMAD.[25]
In early 2019, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic politician, was berated by other political parties over a fake nude photo of her in the bathroom. The picture created a huge wave of media controversy in the United States.[26][27][28][29]
Methods
Fake nude images can be created using image editing software or neural network applications.[12][30]There are two basic methods:[31]
Impact
Images of this type may have a negative psychological impact on the victims and may be used for extortion purposes.[1][33][34]
See also
References
Further reading
- Forbes, chapter 169, no 1–6, p. 84, Bertie Charles, Forbes Incorporated, 2002, California university.
- American Journalism Review: AJR., chapter 18, no 1–5, p. 29, College of Journalism of the University of Maryland at College Park, 1996
- Hana S. Noor Al-Deen, John Allen Hendricks, Social Media: Usage and Impact, p. 248, Lexington Books, 2012.
- Janet Staiger, Media Reception Studies, p. 124, NYU Press, 1 July 2005
- Kola Boof, Diary of a Lost Girl: The Autobiography of Kola Boof, p. 305, Door of Kush, 2006.
- Laurence O'Toole, Pornocopia: porn, sex, technology and desire, p. 279, Serpent's Tail, 1999