Facebook has announced a new policy banning deepfakes. It's basically unenforceable, writes bafeldman
Somehow not a deepfake. Photo: Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images Facebook, this morning, announced a new policy banning deepfakes, digitally manipulated video made with easy-to-use technology that seems ripe for exploitation by bad actors. The threat of deepfakes has led to a lot of hand-wringing over recent months, given how easy and widely available the tools to create them are. Stitching one person’s face was once labor-intensive CGI work. Now, it can be done by anyone with just enough know-how.
It has been edited or synthesized — beyond adjustments for clarity or quality — in ways that aren’t apparent to an average person and would likely mislead someone into thinking that a subject of the video said words that they did not actually say. And:It is the product of artificial intelligence or machine learning that merges, replaces, or superimposes content onto a video, making it appear to be authentic.
In other words, if you say that it’s parody or satire, then it can stay up. Facebook has almost no way of proving otherwise. The purveyors of YouTube prank videos have for years hidden behind the excuse that their work is “satire” or a “social experiment.” Late-night comedians have been doing this for years; one ancient video looked like Obama is kicking a door in. Another recent video on social media made it look like Trump forgot about his toupee.
You don’t need to be a visual-effects wizard to fool people, though. There is already one prominent example of manipulated video that wouldn’t be affected by the new Facebook rules. Over the summer, a video of Nancy Pelosi supposedly slurring her words went viral on Facebook, but the video was actually just footage slowed down to three-quarters of its initial speed — no advanced AI or neural networks or whatever required.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
10 things in tech you need to know todayFacebook has banned deepfake videos and manipulated content from its site.
Read more »
Facebook bans deepfakes in fight against online manipulationFacebook says it will ban 'deepfakes' in fight against online manipulation, but the new rules won't include parody or satire, or clips edited just to change the order of words.
Read more »
Facebook Is Banning Deepfake Videos & Here's Exactly What That MeansCreators of 'deepfake' videos use sophisticated editing techniques such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to alter raw footage.
Read more »
Facebook to remove deepfake videos in run-up to 2020 U.S. electionFacebook Inc said it will remove deepfakes and other manipulated videos from its...
Read more »
Facebook just banned deepfakes, but the policy has loopholes - Business InsiderFacebook just banned deepfakes, but the policy has loopholes — and a widely-circulated deepfake of Mark Zuckerberg is allowed to stay up
Read more »