The Dangers Of Deep Fakes: Why Social Network Shaman Is Needed

Deepfakes can be any kind of falsely produced image, video, or audio made from artificial intelligence (AI) technology. These mysterious creations started surfacing on the web in 2017 after an anonymous user on a popular social forum posted coding algorithms they used to create realistically modified videos. This information quickly spread to other areas online and soon resulted in the release of a myriad of open-source apps and websites utilizing deepfake technology.

The process of making a deepface can split in two directions: It can be done at home on a high quality computer by an expert or it can be done by companies producing this content for consumers. Often when someone with poor editing skills or technology attempts to produce a deep fake, they create a shallow fake. These amateur videos or images are easier to spot because of their low quality, but can still have big ramifications if put in front of an unassuming audience.

Deepfake technology piques the interest of any tech-savvy person, but unfortunately it has been used for many malicious acts. Most discussions of deep fake technology's harm on society centers on nonconsensual sexual imagery. This nonconsensual sexual imagery is a dangerous consequence of how accessible this technology is. Anyone interested in manufacturing this inappropriate content takes another person's picture and automates its appearance so once it's replaced on an existing pornographic video, it will look like a different person is participating in these acts.

Since this issue is very new, legal regulations are still quite sparse: Only three US states have some type of regulation around deep fake content. Of the 15,000 deepfake videos found online in September 2019, 96% contained nonconsensual sexual imagery.

Outside of this inappropriate content, a minority of deepfakes are also used to manufacture false narratives of public figures and businesses. This content is then used in smear campaigns to damage their reputation and spread ideas that have been fabricated. Cybercrime groups and resentful individuals are just some of the people creating deep fake content with negative intentions. Most deepfake creators never receive punishment because their content generates millions of dollars annually for social networks and other online organizations. Sadly, the circulation and creation of deepfake content isn't ending anytime soon: In 2022, it was shown that deepfake attacks increased by 43% since 2019.

Being the target of extortion, blackmail, or slander is already difficult enough before technology like deepfakes is introduced. It's surprisingly common to find yourself becoming a victim of deepfake attacks: You can be targeted because of a specific action you've taken towards someone, or your likeness could be plucked from any online platform randomly.

This possible reality is why cybersecurity expert and researcher Michael Goedeker founded his company HakDefNet International. Their cross-platform solution Social Network Shaman (SNS) fights against unlawful cyber attacks in the form of malware, cyberbullying, and deep fake content. SNS is available via the web and a mobile application with offline features.

Social Network Shaman lets their users learn, track, and participate in a virtual community on their platform. Through their education initiatives, SNS' users have access to in-depth information on all types of cybersecurity risks and strategies they can implement to have a safer online experience. Michael Goedeker describes Social Network Shaman as an ecosystem that's always evolving and improving its functions as more users join the platform.

SNS has features to analyze text, images, and audio on multiple social networks users are commonly active on. Social Network Shaman allows everyday people to equip themselves with protective technology, find a knowledgeable community, and privately receive resources to learn and grow in their online activities. With these tools, Michael hopes the harm social networks and the internet brings can be lessened.

Michael Goedeker, Founder and CEO of HakDefNet concluded:
"When deepfakes are uploaded online, people become targets of harmful and often aggressive comments. After this content is out there, proving it's a deep fake can be difficult and sometimes doesn't erase the effect of the fabricated content that was released. Ignoring the attack can also be hard for victims too because dealing with the harm that results from these events is devastating. It's hard enough for adults to experience this, but with large numbers of children online these days, they're becoming victims of this phenomenon too. Social Network Shaman deals with these issues and uses detection software to find deep fake content and help people who often have no support in this matter because it's a relatively new problem. The Social Network Shaman now also has a free tier which allows users to test content more confidently."