Inquiry Links Thousands of AI Deepfake Ads on Meta Platforms to Beijing Ad Firm
Investigations reveal that Beijing-based GatherOne Inc. distributed thousands of advertisements for 'nudification' software across Facebook and Instagram. These mobile applications use artificial intelligence to superimpose faces onto explicit imagery.
Metas Ad Ecosystem Leveraged for Non-Consensual AI Content
Recent tracking data identifies Beijing-based GatherOne Inc as the source of roughly 7,600 advertisements promoting services that generate non-consensual sexualized imagery. These campaigns targeted users on Facebook and Instagram, facilitating the distribution of mobile applications designed to transpose women's faces onto naked bodies. Meta, the parent company of both social networks, has faced recurring scrutiny over its ability to moderate automated marketing content originating from overseas firms.
The Mechanism of Deepfake Promotion
The software promoted through these ads specializes in two primary functions that pose significant ethical and legal risks:
- Mapping facial features from uploaded photographs onto explicit, pre-existing nude templates.
- Producing high-fidelity sexualized videos using generative artificial intelligence tools.
By utilizing the reach of global social media platforms, GatherOne Inc was able to scale the visibility of these 'nudify' tools over several months. This influx of prohibited content highlights persistent gaps in the automated review systems used to vet advertisers before their campaigns go live. Investigative evidence suggests the volume of these ads indicates a systematic effort to monetize deepfake technology through mainstream social media channels.
Source: NDTV — World
