NSTs: A new symptom of an old problem

Often times when non-consensual deepfakes are discussed, the language used suggests that they represent a recent issue. While the realism and level of low friction and ubiquity of undressing apps is certainly a novelty, the problem itself is not. In a seeming attempt to make everything look like a harmless joke, Elon Musk, the owner and CEO of X, used Grok to undress and put himself in a bikini. However, Musk was never risking his reputation, his relationships, or his job by appearing in a bikini. Plus, the billionaire did this voluntarily.

This is perhaps the most fundamental and insidious aspect of NSTs and non-consensual intimate image sharing: Sexuality and nudity are used as a weapon to coerce, control, attack, abuse, and blackmail. While such a practice could also be carried out purely for sexual gratification, this investigation shows that this is seldom the case. For the most part, sexualised images are created with the intention to humiliate and avenge. As Julie puts it: All the perpetrators had to do in her case was to write a prompt to Grok and press a button. For her, this simple action caused a devastating wave whose rippling consequences will affect her forever.

After the abuse happened, Julie felt that her perception of others has been altered: “Nowadays, I perceive men as always trying to cross my boundaries, online and offline. I feel like I am constantly under surveillance. ” Feminist historian Gerda Lerner writes that “the class position of women became consolidated and actualised through their sexual relationships”. The issue is that the sexuality of women and gender-expansive people is used as a weapon to inflict violence. This can only happen in a society that accepts the policing of bodies and sexuality to destroy the reputation and relationships of individuals.

The “loss of control” over their bodies is something all survivors describe. But Julie goes even further: “I realised that I never really had it.