Ethical Innovations: Embracing Ethics in Technology

Ethical Innovations: Embracing Ethics in Technology

Menu

Teen's Fight Against Deepfake Abuse: Will You Be Next?

A teenager named Elliston Berry has developed an online training course to educate students, parents, and educators about the abuse of deepfake technology following her own experience with harassment. At the age of 14, Berry was targeted when a classmate created and shared fake explicit images of her on social media. After struggling for nine months to have these images removed, she decided to take action to help prevent similar experiences for others.

The course lasts 17 minutes and covers recognizing AI-generated fake images, understanding sextortion—a form of blackmail involving explicit images—and the legal consequences under the Take It Down Act. This law requires social media platforms to remove reported non-consensual explicit images within 48 hours. Recent research indicates that one in eight U.S. teenagers knows someone who has been affected by such incidents.

Berry emphasizes the importance of awareness and education for both potential victims and perpetrators, noting that many educators lack knowledge about these issues. The training program aims to equip them with tools necessary to support victims effectively. The course is offered free of charge to schools and parents as part of an effort to raise awareness about this growing problem.

Adaptive Security CEO Brian Long highlighted the need for education regarding these crimes due to their serious nature. The initiative comes amid increasing reports of deepfake harassment among teenagers across the country, underscoring a pressing need for proactive measures against online abuse.

Original Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (rainn) (sextortion) (harassment) (blackmail) (feminism) (victimization)

Real Value Analysis

The article about Elliston Berry's online course on combating deepfake technology presents several points for evaluation regarding its usability, educational depth, personal relevance, public service function, practical advice, long-term impact, emotional and psychological impact, and potential sensationalism.

Starting with actionable information, the article does provide clear steps that readers can take. It highlights an online course designed to educate students, parents, and teachers about recognizing AI-generated fake images and addresses issues like sextortion. The inclusion of resources from RAINN and legal guidance under the Take It Down Act offers practical tools for those affected by similar situations. However, while it mentions the availability of this course free of charge to schools and parents, it lacks specific instructions on how individuals can access or enroll in this course.

In terms of educational depth, the article goes beyond surface-level facts by discussing the implications of deepfake technology and sextortion. It explains how these issues have affected teenagers significantly in recent years. However, it could benefit from more detailed explanations about how deepfake technology works or statistics related to its prevalence among different demographics.

Regarding personal relevance, the information is highly pertinent as it addresses a growing concern for teenagers today—online harassment through manipulated images. This issue has direct implications for safety and mental health among young people. The mention of tragic outcomes linked to sextortion underscores its importance.

Evaluating public service function reveals that the article serves a valuable purpose by raising awareness about serious crimes associated with digital manipulation. By educating readers on these topics through Berry's initiative and legal frameworks like the Take It Down Act, it encourages responsible action against such abuses.

When reviewing practical advice provided in the article, while there are references to resources available through Berry’s program—such as support organizations—it lacks detailed guidance on what steps individuals should take if they find themselves victims of such harassment or how they might utilize these resources effectively.

In terms of long-term impact, this initiative aims to empower individuals with knowledge that could help them avoid becoming victims in future scenarios involving deepfakes or sextortion. However, without concrete steps outlined for immediate action or ongoing education beyond the initial course offering mentioned in the article itself, its lasting benefits may be limited.

The emotional and psychological impact appears mixed; while raising awareness can foster understanding and preparedness against potential threats posed by digital manipulation technologies like deepfakes can provide some reassurance to victims or potential victims alike. Yet without clear strategies for coping with such incidents when they occur—or avenues for immediate support—the piece risks leaving readers feeling overwhelmed rather than empowered.

There is no evident use of clickbait language; however there is a slight sensationalization around tragic outcomes associated with sextortion that could evoke fear without offering sufficient constructive pathways forward.

Finally assessing missed opportunities reveals that although it outlines significant problems faced by young people today regarding digital harassment via deepfakes—there is little offered in terms of proactive measures one might take if confronted with similar challenges outside participating in Berry’s program itself.

To enhance value beyond what was presented in this article: Individuals should consider familiarizing themselves with privacy settings across social media platforms to better protect their images from unauthorized sharing; practicing caution when sharing personal content online; engaging discussions around consent within peer groups; learning about local laws concerning image sharing; seeking out community workshops focused on digital literacy; establishing open lines of communication between teens and trusted adults regarding any uncomfortable experiences encountered online—all serve as foundational practices toward fostering safer interactions within increasingly complex digital landscapes.

Bias analysis

The text shows a strong emotional appeal when it describes Elliston Berry's experience. It states, "Berry was targeted when a classmate created and shared fake explicit images of her on social media." This wording evokes sympathy for Berry and emphasizes the seriousness of her situation. By focusing on her victimization, the text aims to generate outrage about deepfake technology and its misuse. This emotional framing can lead readers to feel more strongly against the perpetrators without fully exploring broader issues related to technology.

The phrase "struggling to find help" suggests that there was a lack of adequate support systems in place for victims like Berry. This wording implies that existing resources are insufficient or ineffective, which could lead readers to believe that institutions are failing in their duty to protect individuals from such harms. It subtly shifts blame away from the perpetrators and onto societal structures without providing evidence or examples of these failures.

When discussing sextortion, the text states it has been linked to "tragic outcomes, including suicides." This connection is made without specific evidence or statistics provided in this context. By implying a direct link between sextortion and suicide, it creates a sense of urgency and fear around the issue but does not clarify how prevalent these tragic outcomes truly are. This can mislead readers into thinking that such incidents are more common than they may actually be.

The mention of RAINN as a resource is framed positively: "includes resources from RAINN (a support organization)." While this highlights helpful support available for victims, it does not discuss any potential limitations or criticisms of RAINN itself. The omission creates an impression that all resources mentioned are entirely beneficial without acknowledging any complexities involved in seeking help.

The statement “the Take It Down Act mandates that social media platforms must remove reported explicit images within 48 hours” presents this law as an effective solution without discussing its implementation challenges or effectiveness in real cases like Berry's own experience with delays lasting nine months. By focusing solely on what the law requires rather than how well it works in practice, it may mislead readers into believing that legal measures alone can adequately address these issues.

Brian Long’s emphasis on educating both potential victims and perpetrators uses strong language: “the serious nature of these crimes.” The term “serious nature” conveys urgency but lacks specificity about what makes these crimes particularly severe compared to other forms of harassment or abuse. This choice might elevate fear around deepfakes while minimizing discussions about prevention strategies beyond education alone.

Finally, when stating “one in eight U.S. teenagers knows someone who has been affected by fake nude images,” this statistic is presented as alarming but lacks context regarding how widespread this issue truly is across different demographics or regions. Without additional information about sample sizes or methodology behind this claim, readers might overestimate the prevalence and impact of deepfake technology among teenagers based solely on this figure alone.

Emotion Resonance Analysis

The text conveys a range of meaningful emotions, each playing a crucial role in shaping the overall message. One prominent emotion is sadness, which emerges from the description of Elliston Berry's experience with harassment at the age of 14. The phrase "targeted when a classmate created and shared fake explicit images" evokes a sense of deep sorrow and injustice. This sadness is strong as it highlights the vulnerability of teenagers and the severe impact such actions can have on their lives. It serves to create sympathy for Berry, allowing readers to connect emotionally with her plight and understand the gravity of her situation.

Another significant emotion present in the text is anger, particularly directed towards those who misuse technology for harmful purposes. The mention of "sextortion" and its tragic link to suicides underscores this anger by illustrating how these acts can lead to devastating consequences for victims. This feeling is potent as it not only reflects Berry’s personal frustration but also calls attention to a broader societal issue that demands urgent action. By expressing this anger, the text aims to inspire readers to take these crimes seriously and advocate for change.

Pride also emerges through Berry’s proactive response to her own victimization by creating an educational course aimed at prevention. The phrase "decided to take action" indicates strength and determination, showcasing her resilience in transforming a painful experience into something beneficial for others. This pride serves as an inspirational element within the narrative, encouraging readers—especially young people—to find empowerment in their struggles.

Fear subtly underlies much of the discussion surrounding deepfake technology and its potential misuse. The acknowledgment that one in eight U.S. teenagers knows someone affected by fake nude images instills concern about how widespread this issue has become. This fear is effective in guiding readers toward recognizing the urgency needed in addressing such problems; it emphasizes that anyone could be vulnerable.

The combination of these emotions—sadness, anger, pride, and fear—works together to guide reader reactions effectively. They create sympathy for victims like Berry while simultaneously fostering concern about technological abuse among youth today. Additionally, they build trust around Berry's initiative by demonstrating her firsthand understanding of these issues; she has lived through them and now seeks solutions.

The writer employs various emotional tools throughout the text to enhance its persuasive power. Personal storytelling plays a critical role; by recounting Berry's experiences directly related to harassment through deepfakes, readers are drawn into her narrative on an emotional level rather than being presented with abstract statistics alone. Repetition also appears subtly when emphasizing themes like education on AI-generated content or legal consequences under laws like the Take It Down Act; this reinforces key points while keeping them fresh in readers' minds.

By using emotionally charged language such as "harassment," "coerced," or "tragic outcomes," rather than neutral terms, the writer amplifies feelings associated with these issues instead of downplaying them or making them sound mundane or ordinary.

In summary, through carefully chosen words that evoke sadness, anger, pride, and fear alongside strategic writing techniques like personal storytelling and repetition, this text effectively persuades readers about both individual responsibility regarding technology use as well as collective action against its misuse—all while fostering empathy towards those affected by such crimes.

Cookie settings
X
This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience.
You can accept them all, or choose the kinds of cookies you are happy to allow.
Privacy settings
Choose which cookies you wish to allow while you browse this website. Please note that some cookies cannot be turned off, because without them the website would not function.
Essential
To prevent spam this site uses Google Recaptcha in its contact forms.

This site may also use cookies for ecommerce and payment systems which are essential for the website to function properly.
Google Services
This site uses cookies from Google to access data such as the pages you visit and your IP address. Google services on this website may include:

- Google Maps
Data Driven
This site may use cookies to record visitor behavior, monitor ad conversions, and create audiences, including from:

- Google Analytics
- Google Ads conversion tracking
- Facebook (Meta Pixel)