In a landmark move, Google has tightened its advertising policies, explicitly prohibiting the promotion of websites and apps that generate deepfake pornography. The decision, effective May 30, 2024, marks a significant step in combatting the proliferation of services facilitating the creation of sexually explicit content using AI-generated images.
Under the updated Inappropriate Content Policy, advertisers found promoting sites or apps that generate deepfake porn, provide instructions on creating it, or endorse such services will face immediate suspension without warning. Violators will be barred from publishing ads on Google platforms.
This strategic maneuver by Google comes amidst mounting concerns over the accessibility of tools enabling users to produce manipulated pornographic content. Some of these services purportedly disguise themselves as benign apps to secure listings on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store while openly touting their capability to generate deepfake porn on social media platforms.
While Google’s existing policies already impose stringent restrictions on ads featuring certain types of sexual content, this update leaves no ambiguity regarding the promotion of “synthetic content that has been altered or generated to be sexually explicit or contain nudity” as a clear violation.
Prior to this comprehensive policy revision, Google had initiated measures to prohibit services creating sexually explicit deepfakes in Shopping ads. This ban encompassed tutorials on deepfake porn creation and pages advertising deepfake porn generators.
Advertisers have been granted a window to rectify any ads infringing upon the new policy before the May 30 deadline. According to reports, Google removed over 1.8 billion ads for violating its sexual content policies in 2023, as disclosed in its annual Ads Safety report.
The move underscores Google’s commitment to combatting the proliferation of explicit deepfakes, which have increasingly victimized individuals and fueled privacy concerns. With legislative action on deepfake porn potentially on the horizon, stakeholders are closely monitoring developments as the digital landscape navigates this pivotal juncture in content moderation and online safety.
Stay tuned for further updates as this story unfolds.