Heated debates have sparked after Atrioc was caught looking at nude deepfake images of popular female streamers last week.
Twitch streamer QTCinderella vowed to “sue” the deepfake website Atrioc was caught watching, and she’s now doubled down on the issue.
On Feb. 6, she spoke out against deepfake content again in a podcast. “The damage is irreparable,” she said. She also referred to being friends with Atrioc in the past tense, suggesting they were no longer on good terms following the controversy.
She explained the controversy led to the advisement of deepfake nude content of female streamers.
“The biggest problem of all this is that [Atrioc] platformed it, and that’s what is unforgivable to me, because now when you Google Maya Higa, it says deep fake porn. She spent her entire life on animals and that’s what happens when you Google her now,” she said.
She added that although many viewers understand deepfakes—meaning they’re aware they’re not reality—others may believe they’re genuine. “My 60-year-old dad, if he were to see that video, I would never be able to convince him I didn’t do it,” she said.
Female streamers are primarily targeted by this sort of content. It adds up to other issues they have to deal with on a daily basis, such as harassment, stalking, and being objectified by fans, as well as receiving sexist comments and struggling with other toxic behavior.
“It’s so fucked,” QTCinderella said in the podcast. “I have multiple family members who have reached out to me for the first time since I’ve started this career saying they’ve seen this about me and that’s what they see of my career. I’ve worked so fucking hard and now they know me because of porn. It becomes that misrepresentation.”
Since the issue arose, Atrioc publicly apologized a second time and pledged to “help women affected by deepfake websites,” revealing he would step away from streaming. A number of streamers, including Ludwig and xQc, voiced their support for victims.
Pokimane, who has spoken out multiple times against sexualizing women without their consent, reiterated her stance in a tweet that was shared over 33,000 times.
Although sexually explicit deepfake content creation without the consent of the person whose identity is used is prohibited in many countries and U.S. states, it’s still legal in other parts of the world.
Now, the community is putting the issue in the spotlight and is demanding more states take precedence over legislation.
