Microsoft announced today that it is partnering with the StopNCII to proactively remove revenge porn images and videos from Bing, using digital hashes that people create from their sensitive data.
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StopNCII is a project run by the Revenge Porn Helpline that allows people to create digital hashes of their intimate images and videos without uploading media from their phone. StopNCII then adds these hashes to a database used to find the same or similar images online, which are then removed by its partners, including Facebook, TikTok, Reddit, Pornhub, Instagram, OnlyFans, and Snapchat.
In March, Microsoft shared PhotoDNA with StopNCII, enabling improved creation of digital hashes without a person's images or videos leaving their device .
“ Much like the hashing technology already used by StopNCII.org (PDQ), PhotoDNA is an additional process that allows identified harmful images to be hashed into a digital fingerprint, which can then be shared with platforms to identify and remove any non-consensual intimate image abuse material industry ,” the March announcement explains
Microsoft announced that it is piloting the use of StopNCII's hash database to remove revenge porn images from the Bing search index. Using this database, Microsoft says it has taken action on 268,899 images by the end of August.
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The rise of artificial intelligence has also led to an increased generation of fake images from non-personal photos shared online .While these images are fake, they can be just as deceiving to those being exploited.
A 2019 report by DeepTrace, now Sensity, found that 96% of deepfake videos on the Internet were pornographic in nature, and almost all contained non-consensual use of images of women. Many of these images are uploaded as “revenge porn,” for blackmail, or to monetize websites.
Unfortunately, AI- generated images make it harder to match PhotoDNA hashes. In these cases, those affected will have to manually report the images to Microsoft, Google , and other online media companies.
Microsoft says that affected individuals can use the Report a Concern to request that real or fake revenge porn images be removed from the Bing search index.
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Revenge porn refers to the non-consensual sharing of intimate images or videos, usually by an ex-partner, with the intent to blackmail or harm the person depicted. This form of digital abuse can have devastating emotional and psychological effects on victims, including anxiety, depression, and a sense of violation. The rise of social media and messaging apps has made it increasingly easy for such images to be widely shared, often without the victim’s knowledge or consent. Many companies are beginning to implement laws aimed at combating revenge porn, such as in the case of Microsoft Bing.
Source: bleepingcomputer
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