Megan Thee Stallion is the latest victim of deepfake pornography

Happy Tuesday! Here’s your Tuesday Tech Drop, the week’s top stories about the intersection of politics and seemingly everything-embracing technology world.

Megan Thee Stallion Speaks Out Against AI Pornography

O Rapper Megan Thee Garanhão appears to be the latest celebrity victim of the disturbing trend of non-consensual deepfake pornography. The artist, whose open celebration of her sexiness has made her a target of misogynistic rap fans, appeared to be responding to the fake videos circulating online. NBC News reported seeing 18 posts on social media platform X that contained the fake video, some of which were later removed.

States are working to make the phenomenon of illegal deepfake pornography, as there is currently no federal law in force. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., he said She has also been a victim of deepfake pornography and is among the most vocal lawmakers in Congress calling for legislation to combat the trend.

Read more at The root.

Battle of the Billionaires

LinkedIn co-founder and liberal financier Reid Hoffman wrote an article for The Economist, speaking out against tech executives and other wealthy elites who are investing donald trump. Hoffman argues that by seeking their own bottom line through the more favorable tax rates Trump has promised, they are rejecting the success they have enjoyed under President Joe Biden while downplaying Trump’s illiberal behavior.

He wrote:

Read everything at The Economist.

Connectivity issues

Congress allowed a massive pandemic-era subsidy that provided internet access to millions of Americans to expire at the end of May. The Biden administration has worked out a deal with internet providers to keep costs down until Congress (hopefully) approves another round of funding for the subsidies. However, some Americans may be at risk of losing access. As NPR notes, the potential lack of internet access puts some crucial lifelines, like telehealth appointments, at risk for Americans in need.

Read more at NPR.

Republican Party willIt is all-in on anti-Biden deepfakes

The Washington Post has an article describing how Republicans are using so-called cheap fakes and other manipulated videos of Biden’s appearance at the D-Day celebration to misrepresent the president’s health and mental fitness. This is certainly not the first time that the right has used doctored videos to portray Trump’s political opponent as being in poor health.

Read more at O Washington Post.

Elon’s fury at Apple

Apple announced a partnership with artificial intelligence giant OpenAI, creator of the AI ​​chatbot ChatGPT, to integrate its technology into Apple devices. Tech mogul Elon Musk, which is trying to develop its own AI tools to compete with OpenAI, is apparently furious and has threatened to ban Apple devices at its companies because of what it claims are privacy concerns. It’s actually an ironic line of attack, given the safety problems from him own social networks platform there isI displayed in the past.

Read more at CNBC.

Trump-friendly media

Talking Points Memo contains details about a bizarre business deal between the Trump campaign and Right-side broadcast network, a media outlet known for its openly pro-Trump propaganda (despite its leadership’s claims of independence and objectivity). The story sums up the Trump campaign’s reliance on right-wing media outlets to spread his messages.

Read more at PMS.

AI and climate change

Writer Dave Roberts hosted a discussion with artificial intelligence researcher Alp Kucukelbir about the potential uses of AI to curb the effects of climate change. The conversation is a refreshing look at the positive potential of artificial intelligence at a time when its misuses and abuses – such as its use in creating deepfakes – are making headlines.

Listen to the conversation here.

Another trial-related social media hoax

My colleague Jordan Rubin published a post on Deadline: Legal Blog about the right-wing hysteria over a debunked claim that a juror leaked news of Trump’s criminal conviction in New York to a family member who shared the news on Facebook before the verdict. Conservatives before pushed equally false allegations that the wife of the judge in Trump’s civil fraud trial posted anti-Trump attacks on her social media account when she did not.

Read Jordan’s post here.

YouTube Firearms Policy

YouTube announced last week that it is restricting users under the age of 18 from viewing some firearms-related content.

“Starting June 18, 2024, certain content that shows how to remove security devices will be prohibited. Content that shows the use of homemade firearms, automatic firearms and certain firearm accessories will be age restricted,” according to YouTube.

Read the ad here. And read The Hill’s report on the announcement here.

This article was originally published in MSNBC.com