Omnipresent on social networks for years, fraudulent advertisements that usurp the image of well-known personalities like Normand Brathwaite and Guy A. Lepage are moving to another level.
Recently, at least four similar ads featuring an uncensored photo montage of full-frontal nudity of host Maripier Morin remained online for a week on Facebook before being removed.
As is usually the case with these fraudulent advertisements, they presented themselves as an article from a well-known media outlet, in this case The Quebec Journal. The title of the fake article, which remained online from November 11 to 18, was Guy A. Lepage forced Maripirer Morin to undress live
.
I would like to believe that moderation by artificial intelligence escaped it, but it is so easy to identify images of nudity that I just don’t understand what happened
says Laurence Grondin-Robillard, specialist in socio-digital networks and associate professor at the UQAM Media School.
The policies (New window) of Facebook’s parent company, Meta, prohibit the distribution of nudity images unless they are posted in a medical, educational or awareness-raising context. Its advertising standards (New window) also prohibit scams.
It’s bad enough that these scammers can impersonate well-known people by exploiting the trust people have in someone they see on TV. But the fact that they are now using nudity is disgusting
deplores Naira Bellio of AlgorithmWatch, a non-profit organization which aims to improve the transparency and governance of algorithms.
Disseminating explicit images of a person without their consent – even if it is a photo montage or an image generated by artificial intelligence – can be considered a criminal act in Canada.
Just because the photo is altered doesn’t mean the laws no longer apply: all privacy laws apply, reputation issues apply, and criminal offenses apply
explained lawyer Éloïse Gratton to Decryptors last year.
Maripier Morin did not respond to our interview requests.
Automatic Meta moderation criticized
For the experts interviewed, this incident proves that Meta’s ad review process, which relies primarily on automated technology
depending on the company (New window)is deficient.
Automation has not yet reached a level where it can effectively remove, filter, or even simply flag problematic content. And yet, it is still the main tool that platforms use to control this type of content
called Naiara Bellio.
If moderation is done solely through algorithms, it will never work. We have seen this in recent years, and we will continue to see this in the years to come.
The account that posted the explicit images of Maripier Morin appears to have been hacked. This has a blue authentication checkmark that Facebook users can obtain in exchange for a monthly fee. This could have allowed him to escape all human moderation immediate
thinks Laurence Grondin-Robillard.
The specialist finds worrying
that the ad remained online for a week.
Unless there is a radical change at Meta, we are heading towards a very worrying wall
maintains Laurence Grondin-Robillard.
Meta did not respond to our requests for an interview.
