84% of Social Media Influencers Fall Victims to Deepfake Pornography

The rise of deepfake technology, which can produce incredibly realistic manipulated videos, has introduced a fresh phase of digital exploitation: the targeting of social media influencers for deepfake pornography.

To thoroughly examine the risks faced by influencers of being deepfaked for pornography, we conducted an extensive analysis of 22,847 influencers and celebrities from the top five most popular platforms including Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X. Subsequently, we collected and analyzed data from three most popular porn sites, comprising 3,519,060 videos.

Table of Content

Key Findings

01.

84% of social media influencers
are victims of deepfake pornography. Nearly 90%
of them are female.

02.

94% of female Instagram
influencers have fallen victim
to deepfake pornography.

03.

The risk of becoming a victim of
deepfake pornography increases
by 15.7% for every 10,000
followers an influencer gains.

04.

Influencers in the beauty
industry are the most likely
to be deep-faked into porn
videos. 90% are victims.

05.

Taylor Swift is among the
top 10 most targeted victims
of deepfake pornography.

06.

Kylie Jenner's deepfake porn videos have over
110 million views.

Current State

over-84-of-social-media-influencers

Over 84% of social media influencers are victims of deepfake pornography

The unlawful fabrication of pornographic material targeting influencers using deepfake technology is worrisome. Over 84% of social media influencers are victims of deepfake pornography. It poses severe consent, digital safety, and online harassment concerns.

Such Influencer-based deepfake pornography has approximately 400 million views. This shows broad consumption and alarming interest in exploitative content.

Who is The Primary Target of Deepfake Pornography ?

An influencer's risk increases as their number of followers grows

The possibility of becoming a victim of deepfake pornography increases as an influencer gains more followers. Individuals with a following of over 100 million have a susceptibility rate of 79%.

Furthermore, the risk rises by 15.7% for every 10,000 followers an influencer gains. This highlights a concerning aspect of digital fame: the more visible you are, the more vulnerable you become to such exploitation. Below is a table summarizing this information.

# of followers Susceptibility rate to deepfake pornography
>100M 79%
50M - 100M 64%
10M - 50M 52%
1M - 10M 33%
<1M 9%

The risk rises by 15.7% for every 10,000 followers an influencer gains

the-risk-rises-by-15.7

Female influencers face significantly more dangers than their male counterparts

89-of-influencers-falling
89-of-influencers-falling

89% of influencers falling for deepfake porn being female.

The problem of deepfake pornography has a clear gender bias with 89% of influencers falling for deepfake porn being female.

This stark difference is not just a matter of numbers, as it reflects a broader social problem. Women's images are frequently altered and used without their consent for pornographic purposes. This is evidenced by a fact we found: Female influencers are 99 times more likely to fall victim to deepfake pornography compared to their male counterparts.

The susceptibility of female influencers to deepfake pornography is not equal in all industries they work in. We found out that female influencers are more vulnerable in 44 out of 46 investigated industries compared to male influencers. Notably, the Fashion, Entertainment, Fitness and Health, and Beauty industries have over 80% of their female influencers as victims of deepfake porn, while less than 20% of male influencers in these sectors are targeted. This difference not only demonstrates the targeted nature of this exploitation but also reflects social norms fueling the sexualization of women's images in these industries.

Industry

industry-female-male

It's also noteworthy that the Sports and News & Politics industries diverge from the overall trend, as male influencers in these areas are more vulnerable compared to their female counterparts. For instance, 70% of the victims in the Sports industry are male, while in News & Politics, the number stands at 59%. This exception could be attributed to the differing dynamics of public scrutiny and gender representation within these industries.

70-of-the-victims-in-the-sports

Sports

59-of-the-victims-in-the-news-politics

News & Politics

If we break down the susceptibility rate among female influencers by platforms, we will have:

influencers-by-platforms

The problem is further exacerbated on certain social media platforms. Among 5 investigated platforms, Instagram is the platform where female influencers are most vulnerable, with a 94% likelihood of being targeted. The visual-centric nature of Instagram, combined with its algorithmic amplification, creates an ideal environment for the spread of deepfake pornography.

Beauty influencers are the most vulnerable

The Beauty industry stands out as the most affected, as 9 out of 10 of beauty influencers are victims of deepfake pornography. Following are the Fitness & Health and Fashion industries, with susceptibility rates of 58% and 44%, respectively. This raises questions about the visual and aesthetic norms that contribute to the vulnerability of individuals within these industries.

The table below summarizes this information statistically.

9-out-of-10-influencers

Industry

industry-susceptibility-rate

Influencers from the U.S. are at highest risks

The issue of deepfake pornography is most prevalent in the United States, as American influencers are particularly vulnerable to it, with a 10% risk. The high victim concentration in the US could result from its prominent role in global digital culture and its large number of social media influencers.

influencers-from-the-us
Nationality Susceptibility rate to deepfake pornography
1. United States 10%
2. India 6%
3. Brazil 5%
4. Indonesia 3%
5. Mexico 2%
6. Russia 2%

The top 10 most targeted victims of deepfake pornography

Deepfake pornography has a significant impact on celebrities. This is demonstrated by the fact that eight of the top ten most targeted individuals work in the Entertainment business.

Here is a statistical breakdown of this information in the table below.

Nationality and Profession Videos Views
American Singer 600 6,881,625
American Beauty Blogger 600 6,301,260
American Singer 600 14,789,230
British Singer 576 12,897,762
Colombian Singer 570 2,442,411
American Socialite 474 110,951,914
American Singer 450 5,314,463
American Singer 450 15,266,670
American Singer 450 11,224,430
American Singer 450 12,749,378

Taylor Swift is among the top 10 most-deepfaked influencers

taylor-swift-is-among-the-top-10

Deepfake videos of Kylie Jenner gained over 110M views

deepfake-videos-of-kylie-jenner

Why Does Deepfake Pornography Target Social Media Influencers?

The frequent online presence

Social media influencers thrive on engagement. They typically adhere to the unwritten rule of posting content multiple times per week to stay relevant and connected with their audience. This often involves sharing a stream of personal or close-up images and videos. Meanwhile, the fact that it takes only one close-up photo to create a deepfake makes influencers particularly susceptible to exploitation.

Rapid decline in barriers to deepfake creation

The accessibility and affordability of creating deepfakes have significantly reduced barriers for those seeking to misuse them maliciously. According to a recent study, with advancements in AI and machine learning, creating a 60-second deepfake pornographic video now requires less than 25 minutes and can be done at $0. This accessibility opens the floodgates for widespread abuse, allowing anyone with minimal technical skill to generate convincing deepfake content.

the-emerging-interest-in-deepfake-pornography

The emerging interest in deepfake pornography

The demand side of the equation is equally troubling. A study shows that 48% of surveyed US men have seen deepfake pornography at least once. This high percentage suggests a significant interest in this type of content. What is more alarming is the ethical aspect of this consumption, where a large majority of users, 74%, do not feel guilty about consuming deepfake pornography.

Conclusion

The increasing use of deepfake pornography to target social media influencers serves as a clear indication of the dark side of technological advancement. It highlights the urgent need for a holistic response that includes legal, technological, and cultural actions to protect the dignity and privacy of individuals on the Internet. In this ever-evolving digital age, we must ensure a safe and respectful online environment for all remains a paramount challenge and responsibility.

Methodology

First, we compiled a list of 22,847 influencers and celebrities from the top five most popular platforms: Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X. These influencers require a minimum of 10,000 followers.

Following that, we looked for their deepfake pornography videos on the three most popular porn websites and collected statistics on the number of videos, likes, and views by searching their names on each website. A total of 3,519,060 videos were collected.

This analysis excluded missing data.

The data is collected and examined in March 2024.