Podcast Summary
Celebrity leaks websites: Unregulated celebrity leaks websites pose a danger to individuals and society, with bad actors profiting and AI technologies making the problem worse. Big tech companies should be held accountable for enabling this harmful industry.
The world of celebrity leaks websites is a dangerous and unregulated space where bad actors can abuse with impunity, and big tech corporations are making profits off of illegal content being hosted on their platforms. Journalist Patricia Clark and her colleague Eleanor Biggs from Tortoise uncovered this during their investigation into the business of one man who owns or has run dozens of these sites. The man, who presents himself as working in online media and marketing, was uncooperative during their attempts to interview him. The investigative duo also discovered that the use of AI technologies is making this line of business about to explode, potentially leading to an apocalyptic wave of generative AI-based revenge pornography. They emphasized that big tech companies should be held accountable for enabling this harmful industry. The investigation began when Patricia was contacted by a woman whose stolen, naked images were appearing on these sites. The woman's quest for answers and the removal of her images led Patricia on a journey into this dark corner of the internet.
Non-consensual intimate image abuse: Non-consensual intimate image abuse, also known as revenge porn, can have devastating consequences, including feelings of violation, fear, and uncertainty. It's not limited to celebrities and often occurs at the hands of people the victim knows. Dealing with the aftermath can involve a full-time effort to remove content from various websites and forums.
Non-consensual intimate image abuse (NCII), also known as revenge porn, is a serious issue that can have devastating consequences. Lee's story illustrates this, as she unexpectedly found herself the victim of a hacker who uploaded her intimate images and videos to the internet without her consent. The experience left her feeling violated, frightened, and unsure of how to remove the content. NCII is not limited to celebrities, and it often occurs at the hands of people the victim knows. The incident can lead to a full-time effort to get the content taken down from various websites and forums. The case of the Fappening, where hackers leaked explicit images of several celebrities, serves as a reminder of the widespread nature of this issue and the need for greater awareness and action to prevent and address NCII.
NCII on smaller sites: Women face challenges removing NCII from smaller sites, requiring lengthy and costly copyright requests, and the lack of regulation makes it difficult to address the issue effectively.
Despite progress made by larger platforms like Pornhub in removing non-consensual intimate content (NCII), the issue persists on smaller, individual-owned websites. Women like Lee, who have been affected by the distribution of their NCII online, face significant challenges in getting this content removed. They often have to file copyright requests and wait for website owners to comply, which can be a lengthy and costly process. The lack of regulation around these smaller sites is a major issue, as they continue to host stolen content and ignore takedown requests. To effectively combat NCII, it's crucial to address the issue at all levels, including targeting the domain registrars and web hosts that provide services to these sites.
Internet hosting companies and copyright laws: Internet hosting companies have a responsibility to enforce copyright laws and address harmful content on their platforms to prevent misuse and potential harm to individuals and society.
The internet hosting company, Namecheap, which owns about 10% of the Internet's URLs, failed to take action when copyright complaints were made against a website hosting stolen content. The company's dismissive response led the complainant, Lee, to investigate further and uncover the identity of the website owner, who turned out to be a known online extremist. This case highlights the importance of holding internet hosting companies accountable for enforcing copyright laws and addressing harmful content on their platforms. The incident also underscores the prevalence of misogynistic and extremist online communities and the need for increased awareness and action against such individuals and their activities.
Online hate, real-world harm: Online hate and sharing of leaked content can lead to real-world harm and be a lucrative business. Individuals may use abhorrent views and volatile behavior to monetize illegal activities in the sex industry.
Online hate and the sharing of leaked content can lead to real-world harm and is often a lucrative business. In this case, an individual named William Wallace was identified as operating several fappening websites, sharing intimate content without consent. People close to him described his abhorrent views and volatile behavior. While attempting to investigate his source of income, it was discovered that he was actively seeking to make money from the emerging, legally dubious sex industry. His LinkedIn profile showed odd jobs until 2014, when he claimed to have started a business in big data solutions, online media monetization, and advertising. However, no official records or employees were found. Through an investigation, it was discovered that he was not only hosting the websites but may have also been uploading NCII himself. The evidence included comments on forums asking for tips on making money from the sex industry and requesting stolen intimate videos. The investigation team, with the help of a private intelligence and investigations firm, aimed to uncover more information about how William Wallace was making money from his illegal activities.
Cybercriminal networks: Cybercriminals can create complex networks of websites to evade detection and generate revenue through ad revenue and URL sales. Tools like Built With can help investigators uncover these networks and reveal the extent of their illegal activities.
Cybercriminals, such as the individual identified as William Wallace, can create complex networks of websites to evade detection and maximize profits. Using tools like Built With, investigators can uncover multiple sites linked to a single owner, revealing the extent of their illegal activities. These criminals may operate in seemingly unsophisticated ways on social media but can run sophisticated businesses, including disinformation campaigns, crypto scams, and illicit porn sites. They can make significant revenue through ad revenue and URL sales, making them formidable internet villains. Prosecuting them is challenging due to the legal complexities of hosting websites and the difficulty of proving individual uploads. Even if a criminal is caught and imprisoned, the removal of stolen content from the web remains elusive.
Illegal content sharing and tech companies: Tech companies like Namecheap, despite clear indications of illegal content, can be unresponsive and difficult to contact, leaving search engines like Google as the last line of defense against online abuse
The issue of illegal content sharing, as exemplified by the case of William Wallace and the "fappening" sites, is a complex problem that involves a network of people and tech companies. Namecheap, a web host and domain registrar, came under scrutiny for hosting several of these sites despite clear indications of illegal content. The company's lack of response to reports of abuse and the difficulty in contacting them raises concerns about their responsibility and accountability. With no clear incentive for individuals to take down the content and the law proving to be largely ineffective, search engines like Google become the last line of defense. Google's commitment to removing non-consensual explicit imagery from their search results is a step in the right direction, but the ongoing challenge is to ensure that tech companies take a more proactive role in combating online abuse.
Non-consensual intimate images: Google struggles to remove non-consensual intimate images from its search engine, leaving victims in a difficult position and poised for a worsening problem with the advancement of AI-generated revenge pornography
Despite Google's efforts to remove non-consensual intimate images (NCII) from its search engine, the problem persists and continues to harm individuals. NCII sites, such as those involved in the "Fappening" scandal, remain accessible and easily discoverable. Tech companies, including Google, struggle to distinguish between consensual explicit content and NCII, leaving victims in a difficult position. The issue of NCII is not new, but with the advancement of generative AI, the problem is poised to worsen. There is a lack of safeguards in place to prevent the impending wave of AI-generated revenge pornography, which could potentially ruin countless lives. The individual in this story, who has been fighting to have her images removed for five years, calls for change to protect future generations and those currently experiencing this trauma. The issue requires urgent attention and action from tech companies and policymakers.