Holodeck ethics and deepfakes

[Yukaphile]

So I guess you'd turn to the modding community to create VR images of real-life people. Dear God... we are so boned.

[clearspira]

You wouldn't stop it. There will be a whole billion dollar industry of placing actresses' heads on big-titted porno bodies just like there is today. Take one down, five more will spawn.

Remember the Fappening? Those photos still circulate many years later. Only now instead of Jennifer Lawrence on a photo, its Jennifer Lawrence in person thanks to being scanned with a tricorder either by a stranger or a lover. And it is stated by Quark that a tricorder or getting someone in a holodeck is all that is required; honestly in the real world I can genuinely see there being something similar to a tricorder as a smartphone app. Everyone will have a tricorder in a universe where holodecks are real.

And lets not even get into revenge porn. Willingly made private sex holograms accurate in every way released after a bad breakup.

[Yukaphile]

... dare I ask what the Fappening was...?

Yeah, one last rape they felt owed... but hey, if it keeps them from doing that in real life, I... that's the question. If we stopped the VR photoshopping and they did it in real life, should we punish them for doing it, or because the potential was always there even with VR if they don't, and they just chose that moment to act on it? No idea. That's why I'd be in favor of letting them run wild in VR. Unless you could prove programs were self-aware.

[CharlesPhipps]

The "holodeck is for porn" has been a joke since the 80s and let's face it, DS9 outright canonized it. Remember Quark was asked to make an Major Kira holodoll for one of his customers. So, your question Yukaphile is actually answered in-canon.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Kira_(hologram)

"Yes, yes they do and its creepy as fuck."

[Yukaphile]

Quark was punished for that. Because as another noted, he's a business owner. If some private tech geek had tried that... I literally think it might have gone to the courts, given this is not the peace-loving, libertarian-touting Federation, but Bajor. After the wake of the Occupation.

[CharlesPhipps]

Quark was punished for that. Because as another noted, he's a business owner. If some private tech geek had tried that... I literally think it might have gone to the courts, given this is not the peace-loving, libertarian-touting Federation, but Bajor. After the wake of the Occupation.

Honestly, given Bajor's interim government is a shaky alliance of various groups existing in the wake of the collapse of its former theocracy -- Kira probably would have been told, "Do what you want to the guy."

[clearspira]

... dare I ask what the Fappening was...?

About ten years ago someone hacked the phones of several female celebs and released their private nude photos to the world, the most prominent being Jennifer Lawrence. Those photos still circulate.

[Yukaphile]

@CharlesPhipps Yes. Like the "Dax" episode where it was resolved with arbitration before the widow confessing rendered that moo.

@clearspira ... oh dear God... disgusting pigs...

[MerelyAFan]

It terms of sheer logistics, the real question with porn deepfakes will be the financial incentive from indirect involvement in it vs. the legal attempts to control it.

Just as a hypothetical, you might very well see companies create videos with porn actors/actresses of specific heights/weights/proportions that that are in essence tailor made be deepfaked with a certain celebrities' likenesses. Perhaps even beyond that with completely custom made videos that a buyer could then deepfake themselves (or by someone else) with the appearance of their ex, friend, or acquaintance.

All very scummy, but unless such a company was advertising such videos as being created for deepfakes and/or encouraging them to be altered in that way, its very legally difficult to prosecute a company for a product that in and of itself, is breaking no laws. In that sense its no different from a website offering a video game emulator or an ammunition store selling bullets; no overt liability on the seller when the potential illegal act is strictly being done by the customer via alteration or in conjunction with another product.

Thus you could have a scenario within a few years where open source deepfake software is being released/downloaded and custom pornography to be deepfaked is being sold. Neither party is violating any laws because even if everyone knows what its being used for and the parties are making money off of it, the actual unlawful use of likeness for smut is being done at the individual level.

[Yukaphile]

... my fucking God, the big corps are even worse than I thought...