X Platform Fails to Address Deepfake Abuse Targeting Chinese Activist

• •Apple Peiqing Ni faced a coordinated deepfake harassment campaign on X.
• •X's automated systems initially ruled the abusive content as compliant with platform rules.
• •The incident raises questions about X's enforcement of policies against AI-generated abuse.

Apple Peiqing Ni, a Chinese activist in the UK, was targeted with at least 12 deepfake posts on X, portraying her as a promiscuous drug addict after she commented on the Tiananmen Square massacre. Despite reporting the abuse to the platform and UK police, X determined that the posts did not violate its community standards. The deepfake campaign appears to be a coordinated effort to discredit Ni, who leads the China Dissent Network. The incident has raised concerns about X's enforcement of its policies regarding AI-generated abuse, especially against political dissidents. Ni's case highlights the challenges faced by activists in combating online harassment, particularly when it involves state interests. Following media inquiries, X suspended the account responsible for the deepfakes, but only after significant delay. Ni's activism has reportedly led to harassment of her family in China by authorities.