What Are Deepfakes? ‘Dark Web Exposed’ Explains Technology Behind Fake Celeb Videos (Exclusive)

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Oxygen

Oxygen’s new digital series ‘Dark Web Exposed' takes a look at how Hollywood technology is being misused to trick internet users.

Oxygen, TV’s true crime destination, is bringing you even more chilling content online with the new digital show, The Dark Web Exposed.

The six-part series looks into the Pandora’s box of crime opened up by social media in recent years. Each episode will take on new, bizarre and viral crime trends that have taken on a second life outside of the traditional police narrative. It will also explore the role that social media plays for obsessive internet sleuths, the phenomenon of instant fame and hip-hop beefs.

ET has your exclusive first look at one episode, all about deepfakes, videos that look like a celebrity is saying or doing something they never did. Some ne'er-do-wells are using Hollywood face-swap technology to spread false information -- think BuzzFeed’s viral video from a year back, where it looked like former President Barack Obama was saying disparaging things, when in reality it was filmmaker Jordan Peele doing an Obama impression. The technology is also being used to create fake pornography featuring Hollywood actresses.

“There are laws that are being broken, but it’s hard,” attorney Aaron Minc explains in the episode. “I mean, the criminal justice system has taken some steps to catch up with this problem, but it’s happened so quickly, there are not enough laws in place to address every situation that occurs. A lot of states now have passed revenge porn laws, but something like this, where you could just take an image off someone’s Facebook profile and then turn it into pornography, doesn’t really address a situation like that.”

Watch the full episode here:

For more episodes of Dark Web Exposed, click over to Oxygen.com.

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