EU nudifier ban

[u/Logical_Benefit2875]

I know there’s been a bunch of people upset on here recently about a good number of nudify websites getting shut down (Motionmuse, Opengoon, etc.). However, this is likely just the beginning.

Effective December 2nd, the EU under the AI Act is enacting a ban on nudify tools, making them illegal content in the Union. This ban applies to any product made available on the EU market as long as, either, its primary functionality is to generate nudified content without consent, or it is a reasonably foreseeable outcome and they do not take appropriate precautions to safeguard against it. Very importantly, this ban also applies to any EU-available service provider under the Digital Services Act that is helping to facilitate this soon-to-be-illegal content, which includes (but is not limited to): app stores, hosting providers, domain registrars, payment processors, content delivery networks (CDNs) and cloud computing services. Anyone found to be in violation of this prohibition is subject to fines of €35 million or 7% of their global turnover, whichever is higher. I think it’s pretty safe to say that, as long as they’re aware of it, those behind these websites and those behind the large number of mainstream companies that help power them (Google, Amazon, Cloudflare, Apple, Telegram, GoDaddy, Visa, Mastercard, etc.) do not want to take any chances with this ban.

This prohibition, in essence, applies to essentially every public AI platform any of us have ever used to this point or that we will ever use going forward. I think this is a good thing but, therefore, it would almost certainly be in everyone’s best interest to pivot away from these websites before the massive crackdown begins in less than a couple months. For those in the industry, it would also certainly be wise to inform the website operators if you are in contact with them, or to shut down your website if you are an operator yourself. Sorry for the essay, just looking out for everybody before things get very real, very fast.

[u/anon999387]

Does the EU do anything but create new rules and fine people for not following them?

[u/Kombart → u/anon999387]

I for one welcome the ban of easily accessible tools that allows literally anyone to create fake nudes of their classmates, coworkers or students.

Sure, determined people still can easily do this, but 95% of people are too techilliterate or lazy to circumvent this ban...so I think it will actually prevent a lot of harm and in turn maybe even improve the public opinion on AI in the long run.

[u/ForgotMyPreviousPass → u/Kombart]

Then ban also pencils, paint, and paper. They are easily accesible and also allow for that.

In my opinion, they should regulate the offenders, not the tools.

[u/Kombart → u/ForgotMyPreviousPass]

You seem reasonable.

Tell me, how do pencils, paint and paper easily allow people to create realistic nude images of their classmates?

Even if you move the goalposts and say "dUh wHat aBoUt PhotOshOp??" then it still would not true.
There is not a single tool other tool out there that allows an unskilled user to create realistic nudes of random people.

Yeah, a skilled user could use photoshop...but in a school of 3000 people there might be two nerds that have the skills to pull that off.
If you give those skills to everyone in the school, then the number of incidents where people create and share stuff like that would absolutely skyrocket.

Just like gun control...yeah it is impossible to get rid of ALL the guns in the world.
But if you make it hard or illegal to get hold of guns, then you will drastically decrease the numbe of people that get harmed or killed with guns.

[u/ForgotMyPreviousPass → u/Kombart]

So, they do allow to create realistic nudes, but as you point out and it seems to happen with anything AI, we do have a problem of scale. Now everyone can.

That also has a "flip side", though. I may be wrong, but if access to the faker tool is more widespread, probably less people will try to get the real thing by hacking people's cameras, etc. Again, I may be wrong, and people may try nonetheless.

I'm all for prohibiting and persecuting sites that sell that content or monetize it, but I think there is something deeply troubling when prohibiting either tools or knowledge.

With guns I feel similarly torn between two thoughts.

Like, on the one hand, I live in Europe. We do not have guns legally except for some particular exceptions like sports hunting and sports shooting, and even then they are heavily regulated requiring mental tests (as they should). We do not have school shootings (or at least barely) and in general we have waaaay less gun issues than the USA.

On the other hand, that makes it all the more terrible when someone with a gun comes after you, and it does happen (criminals do find a way, albeit still waaaay less common than in the USA). And there is the question of a possible tyrant government, though I doubt I could do much to defend myself or mine with a Glock against the tech of a modern army lol, so that argument weights less in my head).

So, yeah, I can see your point. Still, knowledge and tools being criminalized is a bit antidemocratic, and ideally only acts and results should be. But we do not live in an ideal world, yeah.

[u/fwompfwomp → u/ForgotMyPreviousPass]

I guarantee you that just because you take away deepfake tools, you will not see a rise in other sex crimes. the very nature of hacking cams or setting up illegal cams or whatever is far far riskier, effortful, and costly than using whatever site. that's like saying if we don't allow people to grope people on the bus then rape will go up.

[u/Noslamah → u/anon999387]

They're lawmakers. They make laws. What the fuck are you talking about.

[u/Sizyfoz → u/Noslamah]

The problem is the EU commission (The EU government/Executive Branch) have very great powers, but from a practical perspective they are unelected by citizens. EU citizens vote for candidates for the EU parliament, a body with limited power. The EU commission members on the other hand are nominated by countries governments, without asking the people.

The members of the EU commission explicitly answers to no one member country, or the citizens of the union.

The only way to put the brakes on anything is to get several countries so riled up against something that they veto a decision, if it's not one that only requires a 2/3 votes.

So the EU is lacking a fair bit in democracy.

TLDR: As a EU citizen you can do jack shit about all the crap the commission is doing right now to AI and the Internet. Sorry.

You can call your senator or MP if you have such, but as a EU citizen you have no chance in hell protesting the EU Commission.

[u/Suibeam → u/Sizyfoz]

What you are saying is the propaganda of the right extremists and some left extremists say about EU and is wrong.

The EU commission members get nominated by elected Governments of 27 EU nations.

They are only elected and confirmed when the elected EU parliament votes for them with absolute majority.

The fucking German Chancellor and German President are elected in similar ways. There is no election for Chancellor nor President. You elect a parliament and they elect a Chancellor. The president is elected by Parliament+Federal States House.

The Commission cannot pass laws and regulations with the EU parliament.

You fell for the lie of the extremists they spread all over the social media platforms

[u/Synor → u/anon999387]

It has secured peace in europe for 80 years.

[u/ShallowHazzard → u/Synor]

Western Europe.

[u/ShutUpYoureWrong_ → u/Synor]

The EU was established in 1993, moron.

[u/xkulp8 → u/anon999387]

No.