Scarlett Johansson talks about the dangers brought by computer-generated "deepfakes," wherein faces of women were being copied and pasted into explicit pornographic videos. These fake-porn videos were used to harass and humiliate women.
Johansson said that her face had been grafted numerous times on graphic sex scenes uploaded by anonymous online "creators." One particular fake-porn video of the actress was described as a real "leaked" footage and has been watched more than 1.5 million times on a major porn website.
Johansson was considered to be one of the highest paid actresses in the world. She is famous for her roles in "The Avengers" and the sci-fi fantasy "Her," and she had already experienced the dark reality of modern fame.
Back in 2011, Johansson was one among the celebrities whose nude images were stolen and posted online by a hacker. She became the symbol of the new era of privacy breaches, and the hacker was sentenced 10 years in prison later on.
Fake-porn images posted online has been around for decades, but deepfake videos are now becoming popular and were usually used to harass and humiliate women. Johansson said the rise of fake-porn videos was discouraging and challenging to women, especially since the emerging technology could further harm rather than protect women.
In her interview with The Washington Post, Johansson said she isn't affected with these deepfake videos - even if they were demeaning. She said it's a useless pursuit, legally, particularly because the internet is a "vast wormhole of darkness that eats itself." The actress added there are more disturbing things happening on the dark web, aside from these fake-porn videos. It's up to the person how to fight back for their right to their image, and claim damages.
Johansson said each country has their legalese when it comes to the right of your image. For instance, you can take down sites in the United States that are using your face, but that same rule isn't applicable in other countries, like Germany. That truth is, she added, protecting yourself from the internet and the dangers it brought is a lost cause.
Vulnerable people such as children, seniors, and women should be extra careful in protecting their identities and other personal information posted online. It's worth remembering that the Internet is also a place where sex is being sold, and vulnerable people are preyed upon. There is no difference - either you're a celebrity or ordinary people - hackers can steal information from everyone and can target anyone.
