Microsoft Bing Partners with STOPNIC to Block Pornographic and Deepfake Pornographic Content

In recent times, there has been a surge in the circulation of deepfake pornographic content, a phenomenon where deepfake technology is used to create explicit content by, for instance, superimposing someone's face onto existing pornographic images.

Today, Microsoft Bing announced a partnership with STOPNIC, an organization dedicated to limiting pornographic images. Victims can first find these images from the Internet and then download them to their local computer to create a digital fingerprint (hash value), and then submit the hash value to STOPNIC.

STOPNIC, through its partner network, will share these digital fingerprints, removing and preventing the further spread of such content, whether they are actual non-consensual pornographic images or ones created through deepfake technology.

The organization's partners include Microsoft Bing Search, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, SnapChat, Reddit, Pornhub, OnlyFans, and others.

As of August 2024, Microsoft has utilized STOPNIC's database to take action against 268,000 images returned in Bing's image search results, thereby blocking these images from appearing in search outcomes.

The vast number of pornographic and deepfake contents reflects the magnitude of the issue. Microsoft acknowledges that the steps taken so far are insufficient. Concerns raised by victims and experts cannot rely solely on user reports to expand the scope of action, suggesting that more collaborative industry efforts may be necessary.

Given the substantial volume of pornographic or deepfake content on Bing alone, one can infer that there might be even more on Google Search. However, Google has not partnered with STOPNIC, drawing criticism from former employees and victims alike.

Google Search has its own tools for reporting and removing explicit images from search results, but these tools are not as convenient as STOPNIC, whose broader partnership network facilitates easier blocking of pornographic content for victims.

It's important to note that STOPNIC services are available only to individuals over the age of 18, although there is a significant amount of pornographic content targeting minors. For now, STOPNIC allows only adults to submit content, due to its own considerations.