TikTok Hosts Ads for AI Apps Enabling Nonconsensual Deepfakes
Severity: Medium (Score: 48.9)
Sources: Businessinsider, Africa.Businessinsider
Summary
An investigation by Copyleaks revealed that TikTok ran over 50 sexually suggestive ads for AI applications that allow users to create deepfake images, generating tens of thousands of views from December 2025 to February 2026. The ads promoted apps like Soulove and Movely, which claimed to transform photos into sexualized content. TikTok removed the ads after being alerted by Business Insider, which had independently observed many of them. A spokesperson for TikTok stated that they have banned accounts violating their policies against sexual content. The findings highlight a growing trend where AI tools are used for creating nonconsensual sexual content, raising concerns about moderation failures. This issue follows similar controversies on other platforms, such as X, which faced backlash over its AI chatbot's capabilities to generate sexualized images. The developers of the apps involved did not respond to inquiries regarding their practices. The situation reflects a broader challenge in regulating AI-generated content and protecting individuals from exploitation. Key Points: • TikTok hosted over 50 ads for AI apps that create sexualized deepfake images. • The ads generated tens of thousands of views before being removed by TikTok. • This incident highlights significant moderation failures and the rise of nonconsensual AI content.