Latest news with #MrDeepFakes
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- The Guardian
Man who posted deepfake images of prominent Australian women could face $450,000 penalty
The online safety regulator wants a $450,000 maximum penalty imposed on a man who posted deepfake images of prominent Australian women to a website, in the first case of its kind heard in an Australian court. The eSafety commissioner has launched proceedings against Anthony Rotondo over his failure to remove 'intimate images' of several prominent Australian women from a deepfake pornography website. The federal court has kept the names of the women confidential. Rotondo initially refused to comply with the order while he was based in the Philippines, the court heard, but the commissioner launched the case once he returned to Australia. Rotondo posted the images to the MrDeepFakes website, which has since been shut down. In December 2023, Rotondo was fined for contempt of court, after admitting he breached court orders by not removing the imagery. He later shared his password so the deepfake images could be removed. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email A spokesperson for the eSafety commissioner said the regulator was seeking between $400,000 and $450,000 for the breaches of the Online Safety Act. The spokesperson said the penalty submission reflected the seriousness of the breaches 'and the significant impacts on the women targeted'. 'The penalty will deter others from engaging in such harmful conduct,' they said. eSafety said the non-consensual creation and sharing of explicit deepfake images caused significant psychological and emotional distress for victims. The penalties hearing was held on Monday, and the court has reserved its decision. Separately, federal criminal laws were passed in 2024 to combat explicit deepfakes. In her opening statement to the Senate committee reviewing the bill in July last year, the eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said deepfakes had increased on the internet by 550% since 2019, and pornographic videos made up 99% of the deepfake material online, with 99% of that imagery of women and girls. 'Deepfake image based abuse is not only becoming more prevalent but is also very gendered and incredibly distressing to the victim-survivor,' Inman Grant said. 'Shockingly, thousands of open-source AI apps like these have proliferated online and are often free and easy to use by anyone with a smartphone. 'So these apps make it simple and cost-free for the perpetrator, while the cost to the target is one of lingering and incalculable devastation.'
Hamilton Spectator
22-05-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Markham Stouffville pharmacist allegedly masquerading as deepfake porn pedlar, under investigation
A pharmacist at Oak Valley Health, which encompasses Markham Stouffville and Uxbridge hospitals, is under investigation by both his employer and the pharmacist college after a media report listed him as a key figure running a deep fake AI pornography website. David Do was named in a CBC report on May 7 after an extensive investigation into his activities with MrDeepFakes[dot]com, the largest of this type of website in the world. The website hosts thousands of deepfake porn videos where the images of celebrities, politicians, social-media influencers, other public figures as well as random people are made to appear, in realistic fashion, as though they are engaging in sexual activities. Some of them are violent. Viewers can also find deepfake creators on the website and hire them for hundreds of dollars to do work on specific videos with anyone's image. Do is on leave from his work as a pharmacist, according to Oak Valley Health. '(The) CBC published a story containing serious and concerning allegations against an Oak Valley Health employee,' wrote its communication and public affairs department in a statement to Metroland. 'The story alleges involvement in the distribution and creation of AI generated 'deep fake' pornography. This employee is not currently working at any of our sites. In consultation with legal counsel and in accordance with corporate policies, an internal investigation will be conducted.' Meanwhile the Ontario College of Pharmacists said it is also investigating 'the conduct of this registrant.' 'As the investigation process is confidential, we are not able to provide any further details. Generally, the purpose of an investigation, which is conducted thoroughly and impartially, is to gather facts and evidence related to a registrant's alleged professional misconduct or incompetence and to present them to the inquiries, complaints and reports committee (ICRC),' the statement reads. The ICRC can refer a registrant to its disciplinary committee, which can revoke or suspend the certificate of accreditation, impose terms, conditions or limitations on the certificate, order a fine, order payment of the college's costs and expenses, and reprimand the registrant. MrDeepFakes has now shut down, citing the loss of a 'critical service provider' that has terminated service permanently.
CBC
14-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Trump's plane problem + Investigating deepfake porn site
The National breaks down what's wrong with Donald Trump accepting a luxury plane as a gift from Qatar. Plus, CBC News uncovers the Canadian pharmacist behind MrDeepFakes, the world's most notorious website making explicit deepfake videos.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
GTA pharmacist allegedly behind deepfake porn site now on leave, says hospital network CEO
A hospital pharmacist alleged to be a key figure behind a popular deepfake porn site is now on leave, according to the CEO of the Toronto-area hospital network that employs him. Last week, CBC News's visual investigations unit — in collaboration with open-source investigative outlet Bellingcat and Danish publications Politiken and Tjekdet — published an investigation that found David Do, a pharmacist in the Oak Valley Health network, played a prominent role in the operations of MrDeepFakes, which went offline this month, was the most popular site globally for deepfake porn. The site hosted tens of thousands of non-consensual and sometimes violent deepfake videos and images of celebrities, politicians, social media influencers and private citizens, including Canadians. Do's alleged role in the site was pieced together using data from the web, public records and forensic analysis of the site. In light of the allegations, Do is not working at Markham Stouffville Hospital and Uxbridge Hospital while an internal investigation is conducted, Oak Valley Health president and CEO Mark Fam told CBC Radio's Metro Morning Tuesday. "He's off right now," Fam said, without going into detail about the nature of Do's leave. "I want to be clear that as an organization, we unequivocally condemn the creation or distribution of any form of violent or non-consensual sexual imagery," Fam said. "We have to do our investigation to understand the allegations brought forward." Fam said hospital staff and patients have raised concerns since the allegations against Do were made public. "Our focus right now is taking care of our team," Fam said. Oak Valley's internal investigators are working closely with the Ontario College of Pharmacists as they look into the allegations, he added. The Ontario College of Pharmacists' code of ethics says no member should engage in "any form of harassment," including "displaying or circulating offensive images or materials." The college previously told CBC News the allegations "are extremely serious" and that it was "taking immediate steps to look into this matter further and determine the necessary actions we need to take to protect the public." WATCH | How a Toronto pharmacist secretly helped run a notorious porn site: Do has not responded to multiple requests for comment emailed by CBC News over a period of several weeks. When a reporter hand-delivered a letter to Do at Markham Stouffville Hospital, where he was working as an in-patient pharmacist on April 11, he said, "I don't know anything about that." On May 5, a CBC News reporter again approached Do in an attempt to interview him about his role in the website. Do told the reporter he didn't want to be recorded and that he was busy, before driving away in his vehicle. went offline on May 4, just before the findings of the joint investigation were published. Although sharing non-consensual deepfake porn is illegal in several countries, including Australia, South Korea and the U.K., it's not a crime in Canada. Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged to pass a law criminalizing it during his federal election campaign.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
GTA pharmacist allegedly behind deepfake porn site now on leave, says hospital network CEO
A hospital pharmacist alleged to be a key figure behind a popular deepfake porn site is now on leave, according to the CEO of the Toronto-area hospital network that employs him. Last week, CBC News's visual investigations unit — in collaboration with open-source investigative outlet Bellingcat and Danish publications Politiken and Tjekdet — published an investigation that found David Do, a pharmacist in the Oak Valley Health network, played a prominent role in the operations of MrDeepFakes, which went offline this month, was the most popular site globally for deepfake porn. The site hosted tens of thousands of non-consensual and sometimes violent deepfake videos and images of celebrities, politicians, social media influencers and private citizens, including Canadians. Do's alleged role in the site was pieced together using data from the web, public records and forensic analysis of the site. In light of the allegations, Do is not working at Markham Stouffville Hospital and Uxbridge Hospital while an internal investigation is conducted, Oak Valley Health president and CEO Mark Fam told CBC Radio's Metro Morning Tuesday. "He's off right now," Fam said, without going into detail about the nature of Do's leave. "I want to be clear that as an organization, we unequivocally condemn the creation or distribution of any form of violent or non-consensual sexual imagery," Fam said. "We have to do our investigation to understand the allegations brought forward." Fam said hospital staff and patients have raised concerns since the allegations against Do were made public. "Our focus right now is taking care of our team," Fam said. Oak Valley's internal investigators are working closely with the Ontario College of Pharmacists as they look into the allegations, he added. The Ontario College of Pharmacists' code of ethics says no member should engage in "any form of harassment," including "displaying or circulating offensive images or materials." The college previously told CBC News the allegations "are extremely serious" and that it was "taking immediate steps to look into this matter further and determine the necessary actions we need to take to protect the public." WATCH | How a Toronto pharmacist secretly helped run a notorious porn site: Do has not responded to multiple requests for comment emailed by CBC News over a period of several weeks. When a reporter hand-delivered a letter to Do at Markham Stouffville Hospital, where he was working as an in-patient pharmacist on April 11, he said, "I don't know anything about that." On May 5, a CBC News reporter again approached Do in an attempt to interview him about his role in the website. Do told the reporter he didn't want to be recorded and that he was busy, before driving away in his vehicle. went offline on May 4, just before the findings of the joint investigation were published. Although sharing non-consensual deepfake porn is illegal in several countries, including Australia, South Korea and the U.K., it's not a crime in Canada. Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged to pass a law criminalizing it during his federal election campaign.
