FBI easily nabs man selling sexy deepfakes who used his own photo in profile

Recent enforcement actions under the Take It Down Act (TIDA) have revealed that law enforcement can swiftly identify individuals involved in the illegal distribution of non-consensual sexualized deepfakes. In a striking case last week, the FBI apprehended two suspects after they explored adult websites and engaged with hashtags like #AI and #Deepfakes. One of the arrested individuals, 20-year-old Arturo Hernandez, is accused of sharing 113 albums that garnered nearly one million views, showcasing AI-generated explicit images and videos of around 50 women. Among the victims were notable figures from the political and entertainment spheres, alongside everyday individuals, including classmates from his Texas high school and an Instagram acquaintance. Investigators utilized geo-location data to pinpoint Hernandez as a suspect. In an affidavit, FBI special agent Christopher Powell detailed how the inquiry into the adult site revealed a secondary account that reposted Hernandez’s content. This account was traced back to Hernandez’s PayPal, and further investigation linked it to an IP address consistent with his Apple device, which had been used to access his iCloud. While deepfakes of well-known personalities may be more conspicuous, authorities were also interested in Hernandez's ties to the AI content featuring people within his personal circle. They found evidence that he followed the Instagram account of one victim and had saved an image on his own Instagram, which was used to create deepfake content that was viewed over 36,000 times. Despite his attempts to obscure his identity by using the alias 'Ryan' for his Gmail account, investigators noted that he had also employed this nickname on other platforms, including Snapchat.