There were reports on less reputable media that Bruce Willis is the first A-List celebrity to sell his rights for virtual appearances in film and marketing projects through the creation of a “digital twin.” It is claimed that he “sold” his likeness for use in deepfakes to a Russian company to continue acting amid his aphasia diagnosis.
However, Bruce and his management team have proceeded to share their concerns publicly, stating that Willis did not “sell the rights” to his face and has no “partnership or agreement.” This controversy is just another alarming example of the host of ethical and security implications for celebrities and the general public alike around the rise of deepfakes.
Looking into the wider issues that this incident throws up for Digital Journal is OneSpan CEO & President, Matt Moynahan.
Moynahan is a strong advocate against the usage of deepfakes. Moynahan is concerned with both the current and future security risks of such technology, together with how the manipulation, tampering, and alteration of digital identities are increasingly harming the reputation of public figures and legitimacy of businesses.
Moynahan explains: “High profile cases like this point to the growing ubiquity of deepfake technology in our society. Being able to convincingly replicate an individual’s physical likeness has real-world implications for both consumers and businesses, especially as we begin to interact more in Web 3.0 environments.”
This leads to matters that go beyond the current case, as Moynahan points out: “Regardless of whether Willis has consented to his image being used, the issue of consent will not stop cyber criminals from stealing the likeness of others.”
As to why most should be concerned, Moynahan explains: “The lack of security and identity protection is growing rapidly in the development of Web 3.0.”
The idea of Web 3.0 incorporates concepts such as decentralization, blockchain technologies, and token-based economics.
The Web 3.0 concept will provide new opportunities for deepfake: “This issue of fake users and bots, already endemic throughout today’s Internet, is likely to plague future digital interactions. A cautious and security-first approach must also be applied to future digital interactions within Web 3.0.”
Spelling out these issues, Moynahan expresses: “Often, security has been focused on securing end-to-end processes. However, the growing threat of deepfakes shows there’s been a lack of securing and authenticating the actual interactions between people or companies.”
Moynahan points out that these concerns need to be in the forefront of future business technological developments: “Organizations must take a step back and recognize how they are exposed as they transition to Web 3.0. The answer rests on authenticating and identifying all involved parties.”
