Julia Holody – Staff Writer

juh644@psu.edu

The rise of second-wave feminism in the 1970s generated a conversation amongst American women that continues to this day on the ethics of pornography. Some women are vehemently against it, arguing that the porn industry exploits and commodifies women, objectifies their bodies, and even enables human trafficking. Other women argue that women engaging in pornography is a form of sexual liberation and a lucrative industry for women to profit off of the male gaze. 

Sites like OnlyFans, where people can sell exclusive, mostly sexual, content, have allowed women to make money with their bodies on their own terms. Regardless of where women stand in this heated debate, I am sure they can all agree on the abhorrence of what is known as deepfake porn.

“Deepfakes” are a form of artificial intelligence [AI] technology. For the sake of not losing an audience in technological jargon, this technology is being used to take an existing video or picture of a person and format a different face onto theirs. 

In recent years, there has been an explosion of deepfake pornography, where the faces of other people–usually celebrities of some level–are transplanted onto the bodies of people performing sexual acts. Deepfake technology first appeared a few years ago, and most people did not take the software too seriously. The AI technology was still in its infancy and was far from perfect, producing deepfakes of people that could easily be clocked as, well, fake. It was not until a prolific event occurred on the streaming site Twitch earlier this year that the conversation around deepfake technology was reignited.

Twitch streamer Atrioc, real name Brandon Ewing, is known for his gaming content and his “Just Chatting” streams, where he interacts with his audience in the comments. During a Twitch stream on Jan. 20, 2023, he was sharing his screen when flashed all of his open tabs for a split second. 

Despite the extreme brevity of the action, watchers were able to pause the stream and view exactly what tabs Atrioc had open on his browser. On there, clear as day, was a deepfake porn site. Even worse, the site contained deepfake porn of other Twitch streamers who were friends of Atrioc, specifically his fellow streamers Pokimane and Maya Higa. 

The discovery quickly exploded, with other online creators to major news publications reporting on Atrioc’s viewing of deepfake pornography. Female streamers began to speak out against his actions and expressed their horror upon discovering that their faces were being used in pornography without their knowledge. A streamer known as QTCinderella released a video statement regarding the situation that has been widely circulated, with the streamer amid a mental breakdown. After being exposed and receiving backlash, the creator of the deepfake porn site took the whole thing down. 

In an attempt to clear his name and take accountability, Atrioc recorded a stream where he submitted an apology. Through pathetic sobs, Atrioc reluctantly explained that he was exposed to the deepfake site through repeated advertisements on PornHub, a popular pornography site. After assuming that other people must have viewed the deepfake site due to the prevalence of its advertisements on PornHub, he claimed to have visited the site on account of a “morbid curiosity.” He further asserted that this was a one-off incident and that he has no pattern of viewing deepfake porn. The apology video was especially uncomfortable given that his wife was present in the background throughout the stream.

There is no question that the creation and the viewing of this content are reprehensible. Atrioc’s apology was a deflection of responsibility instead of an actual, sincere apology in my view. First of all, he claimed that his viewing of the deepfake porn site was a random blunder that all happened so fast. In reality, the site provided pay-per-view content, meaning that Atrioc made the conscious decision to pay for videos of his female friends in a sexual context. 

The next issue I have with his apology is the way he tried to evade personal responsibility by assuming that thousands of other people visited the site. He tried to place blame on everyone else to lessen his culpability as if to normalize the viewing of this type of pornography. 

Yet another qualm I have with this apology is the inclusion of his wife. To be honest, I do not know if she chose to be present during the apology or if he forced her. Either way, it was unsettling to have her there. While crying, she attempted to defend her husband’s actions, as if he was not masturbating to his close friends and colleagues. I do feel bad for her because this situation is disturbing, but I personally and hypothetically would not want to be seen defending my husband who has been fantasizing about and emotionally cheating on me with his female friends. 

For me, deepfake pornography falls outside of the argument regarding traditional pornography. There is neither a silver lining nor a gray area here. None of the women on the website were creating sexual content online. This site profited off of these women and many more without their consent, permission, or even their knowledge of this type of pornography existing. They have every right to be disgusted, not only by Atrioc but by the other patrons of these sites. 

I have seen people online criticizing these women, claiming that “they should not be offended because the bodies in the videos are not their own” and that “this is the price they pay for being online.” Regardless of whose body it is in these videos, AI technology has improved dramatically in recent years. The videos are incredibly realistic to the point where it is difficult to tell whether or not the video is fake. 

As for the latter criticism of female creators, I am disgusted. Just because a woman is existing online does not mean she deserves to be sexually exploited. Their presence in online spaces does not give creeps the go-ahead to profit off of their bodies. This type of technology can ruin careers, relationships, and lives. There is nothing to be excused here. 

If there are any positive takeaways to be had, it is that the Atrioc controversy shone a light on the rising prevalence of deepfake pornography that has, in turn, has led to its widespread condemnation. The public is beginning to understand the harm that this technology causes, and I believe we can only go up from here. 

My heart hurts for the women who have been targeted and sexually exploited by the men who run and use these sites. For their sake, I urge everyone to condemn deepfake pornography no matter what. There is no debate to be had.