Why The FBI Says You Need To Be Careful With Your Social Media Photos

Social media has become a ubiquitous, for better and for worse. On one hand, professional networking and discourse with like-minded individuals has become easier than ever, and contact with overseas friends and family members is easier to maintain. On the other, the world probably doesn't need to see images of your every meal.

Though such photos have long been derided, the issue of problematic social media images has been compounded by the advance of artificial intelligence. Social media giants like Facebook have strict regulations about the kinds of images that can be uploaded on their sites. Facebook's Adult nudity and sexual activity policy, for instance, notes that "we default to removing sexual imagery to prevent the sharing of non-consensual or underage content," but there are exceptions for artwork, acts of protest, educational images and such. Sadly, though, explicit images have been made from otherwise-innocuous shots on social media using AI tools.

Here's what the FBI has to say to users on the matter of these increasingly-sophisticated deepfakes and how harmful they can be.

On June 5 2023, the FBI issued a public service announcement warning of "Malicious Actors Manipulating Photos and Videos to Create Explicit Content and Sextortion Schemes." It states that profile images and other photographs posted by social media users have been taken and altered by AI image generators to develop explicit deepfakes. Moreover, such images can be incredibly difficult to detect.

"The FBI continues to receive reports from victims ... whose photos or videos were altered into explicit content," the report goes on, stating that, in some cases, those responsible have also contacted those featured in the original images and made threats or demands for further explicit images or money.

The public service announcement suggests visiting the Internet Crime Complaint Center to report any such an attack and shares some ways for social media users to protect themselves. They include being vigilant with passwords and carrying out reverse image searches to determine whether content has been subjected to such treatment.

It's a real tragedy that the new possibilities offered by AI are being utilized in this way, but it certainly isn't news to authorities. Almost two years ago, a September 2021 PSA from the FBI addressed an Increase in Sextortion Complaints, and such cases just seem to be on the rise as perpetrators discover new tools for carrying out these kinds of crimes.

As the FBI noted in that instance, it's crucial not to feel embarrassed to report these experiences. Support is both available and necessary.