This archive report was first published on 29 June 2019.
June 29, 2019
The 'DeepNude' app, which sparked outrage over its potential for nonconsensual pornography, has been shut down by its creators.
Launched several months ago for 'entertainment,' the app used artificial intelligence to virtually undress women, with the creators listing their location as Estonia.
However, the app's creators underestimated the demand and were unable to control the traffic, leading to widespread misuse.
"We never thought it would be viral and (that) we would not be able to control the traffic," the DeepNude creators said on Twitter.
"Despite the safety measures adopted (watermarks), if 500,000 people use it, the probability that people will misuse it is too high. We don't want to make money this way."
Articles in The Washington Post, Vice, and other media showed how the app could be used to take a photo of a clothed woman and transform that into a nude image, sparking renewed debate over nonconsensual pornography.
The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, a group that seeks protection against nonconsensual and 'revenge' porn, tweeted, "This is a horrifically destructive invention and we hope to see you soon suffer consequences for your actions."
Law professor and president of the CCRI, Mary Anne Franks, added, "It's good that it's been shut down, but this reasoning makes no sense. The app's INTENDED USE was to indulge the predatory and grotesque sexual fantasies of pathetic men."
Although the app was shut down, critics expressed concern that some versions of the software remained available and would be abused.
