How a Fil-Am elected official in Florida became a victim of deepfake porn
Photo from Sabrina Javellana/Facebook
The advent of technology has always been a double-edged sword. On one hand, it has revolutionized communication, healthcare and education, making information and services more accessible than ever before.
On the other hand, it has introduced issues such as the potential for increased social isolation, privacy concerns, cybersecurity threats and the worst deepfake videos weaponized by malicious actors.
An example of the damage deepfakes can inflict on individuals is the story of Filipino American politician Sabrina Javellana.
At just 21, Javellana became one of the youngest elected officials in Florida when she joined the Hallandale Beach city commission in 2018. She served as the city’s vice mayor in 2019.
Known for her progressive views, she faced significant public scrutiny, but nothing compared to the nightmare that followed.
According to the New York Times’ thorough report, Javellana’s personal images were hijacked and altered into explicit, degrading content.
“I felt like I didn’t have a choice in what happened to me or my body,” she told the New York Times, reflecting on the violation. The manipulated images featured doctored versions of her social media photos, accompanied by obscene and misogynistic comments. The most disturbing was a manipulated selfie from 2015, which showed her without clothes, even though the original was fully dressed.
For those unfamiliar with the term, deepfakes use artificial intelligence to create highly realistic but fake audio or video content, making it challenging to distinguish real from fabricated material.
The impact on Javellana was profound, affecting her personal life and professional career. Despite seeking help from Florida’s Department of Law Enforcement and lawyer Carrie Goldberg, existing laws proved insufficient.
Found in a similar situation, Senator Lauren Book, who introduced the bill after her own experience with deepfake abuse, championed legislation that criminalizes the creation and distribution of non-consensual deep fake images, particularly of a sexual nature.
Florida passed Senate Bill 1798 on June 24, 2022, which enables victims to pursue criminal and civil actions against perpetrators, including fines, jail time and civil suits.
Despite this progress, Javellana continues to face new instances of deepfake abuse. To further address these issues, the DEFIANCE (Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits) Act has been introduced in Congress, aiming to enhance protections and provide financial remedies for victims.
The founder and CEO of the Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA) indicated that the DEFIANCE Act is designed to tackle nonconsensual deepfake pornography by granting victims a civil right of action to pursue justice, with the aim of preventing such content from emerging in the future.
However, experts emphasize that tech companies must play a more active role in monitoring and removing harmful content to effectively combat the deepfake menace.
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