Tech Giants Must Do Better on Deepfakes, San Francisco Attorney Insists

San Francisco’s city attorney, David Chiu, has been a vocal critic of tech giants for their handling of issues like deepfakes. His latest move – two cease-and-desist letters to Apple and Google demanding they remove 13 AI-powered “nudify” apps from their stores – highlights the need for greater accountability.

The fact that these apps were able to evade moderation on both platforms, despite policies against sexual content, raises questions about their effectiveness. The apps’ ease of discovery and download is particularly concerning. A recent report by The Tech Transparency Project exposed how some of these apps were being promoted on Apple’s App Store and Google Play, while others had innocuous ratings.

Chiu’s efforts to address the proliferation of deepfakes are ongoing. His lawsuit against 16 websites that allow users to create AI-generated porn using real women and girls’ images is a prime example. The issue extends beyond these companies, however. Meta’s Oversight Board has called for stronger protections against nonconsensual deepfakes, while Elon Musk’s xAI has faced multiple lawsuits related to this issue.

The financial incentives at play are also worth examining. Some of the “nudify” apps have generated millions in revenue through in-app payments. This raises questions about whether companies like Apple and Google are prioritizing profits over user safety. Google’s response to Chiu’s letter, which included deleting hundreds of apps with nudification features, is a step in the right direction but falls short.

Apple has yet to comment on the matter. Ultimately, this debacle serves as a reminder that convenience and profit cannot be allowed to trump consent in the digital age. Tech giants like Apple and Google have a responsibility to protect their users from harm – including safeguarding them against nonconsensual deepfakes.

As the issue continues to unfold, one thing is clear: tech companies must do better on this front. They owe it to themselves, their users, and the online communities they serve to prioritize accountability and consent above convenience and profit. The clock is ticking for Apple and Google – will they take concrete steps to address this issue, or will they continue to prioritize profits over people?