Etsy Has Been Selling Deepfake Pornographic Images of Celebrities
Etsy has been selling AI-generated deepfake images of at least 55 high-profile celebrities including Jenna Ortega and Olivia Munn — with some photos on sale for as little as $0.92.
According to a report by Forbes, Etsy, a global online marketplace which focuses on selling handmade or vintage items and craft supplies, was selling AI-generated deepfake digital images of Munn on its platform up until Tuesday — some of which were pornographic.
“With a resolution of 300 DPI, Olivia’s details come to life, making it ideal for digital art, design, and printing,” the description reportedly read for one deepfake image of Munn on sale for $2.49.
Munn’s attorney Bryan Sullivan says he immediately notified Etsy on December 13 after being contacted by Forbes about the deepfake pornographic images on sale. However, Etsy reportedly did not take the images down until six days later, after Forbes reached out to the company directly.
Sullivan says that X-Men: Apocalypse actress Munn feels “violated and offended” by the existence of these images on Etsy.
Etsy Has a ‘Deepfake Porn Problem’
Munn is not the only victim of deepfake porn on the platform. Forbes reports that other Etsy sellers had offered similar sets of deepfake images of celebrities for slightly higher prices ($5.51) with examples including: “Jenna Ortega just finished taking a bath. Shaved privates, oversized chest.”
Another Etsy seller offered to make “any celebrity you like nude in different positions… whether naked, during sex, or simply in lingerie” for the price of $0.92.
According to Forbes, Etsy removed these particular sellers’ accounts. However, Etsy also left up thousands of other listings that include AI-generated pornography — which are all easily discoverable with the most basic search terms.
“We are deeply committed to the safety of our marketplace and community, and we removed the violating listings in question immediately when they were brought to our attention,” Etsy’s head of trust safety Alice Wu says in a statement.
“Nude celebrity deepfakes are prohibited. Given this is an emerging issue across the Internet, we are actively working to scale our enforcement efforts in this area.”
According to Forbes, Etsy has a “deepfake porn problem” that has erupted since the mainstreaming of AI technology. On December 18, a search for “ai nude” yielded over 4,000 results.
Meanwhile “deepfake porn” reportedly returned over 1,600 results. Some of these results were reportedly not porn, and merely offer4r non-explicit services to “make your own deepfake video.”
After Forbes reached out to Etsy about these results for the search terms, the numbers decreased on the platform.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
