Scarlett Johansson Speaks Out Against 'Deepfakes' (XBIZ)

Read the full article by Rhett Pardon at XBIZ.com 

LOS ANGELES — “Deepfakes” technology dominated headlines right off the bat in January 2018, so it is only fitting that the year ends with more dialogue on the controversial practice of distributing such questionable online content.

Mainstream star Scarlett Johansson, who was one of numerous celebrities who've been targeted by deepfake sex videos generated by AI, told the Washington Post in a piece published today that she’s given up fighting against such material featuring her persona.

To emphasize her frustration, Johansson noted that one fake porn video that featured her face has been viewed more than 1.5 million times on a single site.

"Nothing can stop someone from cutting and pasting my image or anyone else's onto a different body and making it look as eerily realistic as desired," Johansson told the Post. “There are basically no rules on the internet because it is an abyss that remains virtually lawless, withstanding U.S. policies which, again, only apply here.

“People think that they are protected by their internet passwords and that only public figures or people of interest are hacked. But the truth is, there is no difference between someone hacking my account or someone hacking the person standing behind me on line at the grocery store’s account,” said Johansson, one of the highest-paid actresses who is famous for roles in “The Avengers” and the sci-fi fantasy “Her,” in which she played the faceless voice of an AI companion.

“It just depends on whether or not someone has the desire to target you.”