Hundreds of sexual ads using deepfakes ran on social media

Over the course of March 5 and 6, the Deepfake FaceSwap app rolled out over 230 ads total, with 127 using Watson’s likeness and 74 using the face of Johansson, NBC News reports. — AFP

NEW YORK: A massive advertising campaign launched this week by a deepfake app featured the faces of actresses Emma Watson and Scarlett Johansson.

The ads, which ran across Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram, featured a scantily clad woman with Emma Watson’s face digitally imposed, as the woman began to perform what looked like a sexual act.