Game Over, MrDeepFakes

The kingpin of deepfake pornography has been revealed.

Since 2018, MrDeepFakes has been serving its visitors with non-consensual pornographic videos of the top celebrities. One could also share images of a potential victim in the site’s forums and request their deepfake porn to be made.

The whole process is quite simple and easy—use images of someone and swap their face with that of an adult video performer. It could be done for under US $10 with the right tool. And so MrDeepFakes thrived. With millions of monthly visitors, it hosted over 70,000 videos, garnering over 2.2 billion views.

However, a joint investigation by digital investigations outlet Bellingcat, along with Danish fact-check media outlet TjekDet, Danish newspaper Politiken, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) led to the revelation of the man behind the nasty website. And to its shutting down.

Canadian Pharmacist To Deepfake Porn Kingpin

CBC described David Do as a 36-year-old “unassuming” and “respectable” hospital pharmacist, living with his partner outside Toronto with a fairly good income, and driving a Tesla.

Read: This Canadian pharmacist is key figure behind world's most notorious deepfake porn site | CBC News

The team of digital investigators looking into his existence analysed MrDeepFakes’ forums and started focusing on its oldest member, and a certain handle popped up: dpfks. 

It soon became apparent this wasn't just any member - dpfks was a leader and a creator in this MrDeepFakes community.

Read: Unmasking MrDeepFakes: Canadian Pharmacist Linked to World’s Most Notorious Deepfake Porn Site - bellingcat

They started looking for this username in breached databases and found further clues - usernames, IP addresses, home addresses, passwords, date of birth - along with a bunch of personal email addresses with combinations of the same name “Duy David Do.” 

According to the news reports on the investigation, David had used the same password for many of these emails - and it had appeared in the data breaches.

With the help of his personal emails, the researchers were able to track down a Yelp account for David D and an Airbnb account containing a photo. Using these details, they found the pharmacist David Do, working at “Markham Stouffville Hospital and Uxbridge Hospital in the Oak Valley Health network.”

After reaching out to David for a comment on several occasions, a CBC News reporter hand-delivered a letter to him at the hospital where he works. He denied knowing “anything about that.”

Soon, his social media handles disappeared, and the MrDeepFakes website was taken down.

What’s in store for Mr. David Do? It’s unsure. Deepfake production is yet to be criminalised in Canada, and while the incoming Prime Minister Mark Carney has vowed to “criminalise production and distribution of non-consensual sexual deepfakes,” it remains to be seen if David Do can be held accountable for his actions.

Have you been a victim of AI?

Have you been scammed by AI-generated videos or audio clips? Did you spot AI-generated nudes of yourself on the internet?

Decode is trying to document cases of abuse of AI, and would like to hear from you. If you are willing to share your experience, do reach out to us at [email protected]. Your privacy is important to us, and we shall preserve your anonymity.

About Decode and Deepfake Watch

Deepfake Watch is an initiative by Decode, dedicated to keeping you abreast of the latest developments in AI and its potential for misuse. Our goal is to foster an informed community capable of challenging digital deceptions and advocating for a transparent digital environment.

We invite you to join the conversation, share your experiences, and contribute to the collective effort to maintain the integrity of our digital landscape. Together, we can build a future where technology amplifies truth, not obscures it.

For inquiries, feedback, or contributions, reach out to us at [email protected].