Google is taking a firm stance against advertisers engaging with the darker side of AI. The tech giant is cracking down on the promotion of deepfake pornography, a practice that employs artificial intelligence to manipulate or fabricate sexual content using a person's likeness. In a move aimed at curbing unethical tactics, Google has issued a deadline for advertisers to sever ties with websites involved in such activities.
Under a new ad policy, Google explicitly targets "sites or apps that claim to generate deepfake pornography, instructions on how to create deepfake pornography, endorsing or comparing deepfake pornography services." According to Michael Aciman, a spokesperson for Google, this update aims to prohibit advertisements for services offering to create deepfake pornography or synthetic nude content. Effective May 30, ads falling within this category will face a ban under the updated policy.
The severity of the crackdown is emphasized in Google's statement, which labels violations of this policy as "egregious." Upon detection of policy violations, Google warns that it will suspend the offending Google Ads accounts without prior warning, effectively barring them from advertising on the platform again.
This move comes in the wake of Google's removal of nearly 2 billion ads last year for violating sexual content policies. The proliferation of deepfakes online poses significant challenges, with reports indicating their circulation in various contexts, including the exploitation of teenagers. Concerns have even reached educational institutions, with Los Angeles schools cautioning parents about the circulation of deepfake images of students, including incidents at prestigious locations like Beverly Hills High School.
High-profile individuals, including celebrities like Taylor Swift, Jenna Ortega, and political figures like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have also found themselves targeted by deepfake content. As Google takes proactive measures to combat this concerning trend, it signals a broader effort to mitigate the harmful impacts of AI manipulation in the digital landscape.
Google is taking a firm stance against advertisers engaging with the darker side of AI. The tech giant is cracking down on the promotion of deepfake pornography, a practice that employs artificial intelligence to manipulate or fabricate sexual content using a person's likeness. In a move aimed at curbing unethical tactics, Google has issued a deadline for advertisers to sever ties with websites involved in such activities.
Under a new ad policy, Google explicitly targets "sites or apps that claim to generate deepfake pornography, instructions on how to create deepfake pornography, endorsing or comparing deepfake pornography services." According to Michael Aciman, a spokesperson for Google, this update aims to prohibit advertisements for services offering to create deepfake pornography or synthetic nude content. Effective May 30, ads falling within this category will face a ban under the updated policy.
The severity of the crackdown is emphasized in Google's statement, which labels violations of this policy as "egregious." Upon detection of policy violations, Google warns that it will suspend the offending Google Ads accounts without prior warning, effectively barring them from advertising on the platform again.
This move comes in the wake of Google's removal of nearly 2 billion ads last year for violating sexual content policies. The proliferation of deepfakes online poses significant challenges, with reports indicating their circulation in various contexts, including the exploitation of teenagers. Concerns have even reached educational institutions, with Los Angeles schools cautioning parents about the circulation of deepfake images of students, including incidents at prestigious locations like Beverly Hills High School.
High-profile individuals, including celebrities like Taylor Swift, Jenna Ortega, and political figures like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have also found themselves targeted by deepfake content. As Google takes proactive measures to combat this concerning trend, it signals a broader effort to mitigate the harmful impacts of AI manipulation in the digital landscape.
