Meta Advertised App to Nudify Female Politicians
Meta ran ads for an app promising to generate sexually explicit deepfake images of female politicians.
The update
Meta ran ads for an app called Kromix that used AI to generate sexually explicit images and videos of women. The ads targeted male users and featured a pornographic deepfake video that closely resembled a US politician. Meta removed the ads after being contacted by WIRED. Apple removed the app from the App Store following an inquiry.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the potential for AI tools to weaponize public figures. As the technology becomes more accessible, formerly benign media like official portraits can be used to create nonconsensual intimate imagery. This raises significant concerns about platform safety and the protection of elected officials.
What to watch
Meta’s response to the specific ads and the broader policy on deepfake pornography. The legal actions taken by cities like San Francisco against app stores for hosting such tools. The specific politicians targeted in the ads.
Sources
- arstechnica.com — Details on the Kromix app, the ads' targeting, and Meta's response.
- wired.com — Confirmation of the deepfake video's content and Apple's removal of the app.
