Hundreds of sexual deepfake app advertisements featuring actresses Emma Watson and Scarlett Johansson ran on Facebook and Instagram over the last few days. The Masters of the Universe apparently had no issue with advertising the technology used to make fake porn of celebrities — and increasingly, normal people too.
A recent Facebook ad showed a woman that looked exactly like Emma Watson, bending down in front of the camera and appearing to initiate a sexual act, according to a report by NBC News.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 01: in their welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC Apex on October 1, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
The woman, however, wasn’t actually the Harry Potter star. Instead, the video was an advertisement for a deepfake app, which allows users to put any face into any video of their choosing. Deepfake software is often used to make fake pornography of celebrities.
The ad campaign, which ran on Sunday and Monday, rolled out more than 230 advertisements on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, the report noted.
While the ads did not feature any actual sex acts, they were suggestive in nature, and were made to mimic the beginning of a porn video, even adding Pornhub’s intro track playing in the background.
Among the ads that swapped out other people’s faces with those of celebrities, 127 of them featured Watson, and another 74 featured Johansson.
“Replace face with anyone,” read the caption of 80 of the advertisements. “Enjoy yourself with AI swap face technology.”
A review of the app itself revealed that it offers users various video templates featuring scantily clad women and men dancing and posing. Users can then select a template — or upload their own — and input a photo of anyone’s face, and be given a face-swapped version of the video within seconds.
The app costs $8 per week, and its developer listed in the App Store is Ufoto Limited, owned by a Chinese parent company, Wondershare.
The ad campaign on platforms owned by Facebook (now known as Meta) serves as a stark example of how accessible digital face-swapping “deepfake” tools are becoming for the average consumer.
All of the ads were reportedly removed from Facebook’s platforms by Tuesday, after NBC News asked the social media giant for comment.
Last month, Hollywood star Keanu Reeves said deepfake digital face edits are “scary,” adding that his film contracts ban digital edits to his acting. But while actors are able to ban deepfakes in their contracts, there appears to be nothing stopping people from swapping them — or anyone — into readily available Chinese apps.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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