Google removes deepfakes en masse, also removing them from search rankings
Google has previously responded to requests to remove explicit deepfake images created without consent, but has now announced an initiative to remove 'images similar to the fake images that have been requested to be removed.'
How Google Search is addressing explicit fake content
Emma Higham, a product manager at Google, updated her official blog on July 31, 2024, announcing that 'When someone requests that we remove explicit, non-consensual, false content about them from search results, our systems will also aim to remove all similar explicit content about that person from search results.'
If Google is successful in removing an image from search results based on its policies, Google's search systems will then scan for and remove duplicates of that image.
Higham said these efforts have proven effective in dealing with other types of non-consensual content and are intended to reassure people who are concerned that explicit images of them may surface in the future.
To request the removal of non-consensual fake images, please click below:
Remove unwanted fake pornographic images from Google - Google Search Help
In addition to removing reported content from search results, Google will also update its ranking system for search terms that are at higher risk of false content appearing in search results.
For example, Google aims to prioritize high-quality, non-explicit content, such as news articles, for search queries that include a person's name. Google reports that this update, introduced in 2024, reduced the number of times explicit images appeared in search results for a person's name by 70%.
The company also plans to continue to distinguish between 'real, consensual explicit content,' such as a nude scene in an actor's work, and 'blatant fake content,' such as deepfakes created based on that actor, and to downgrade fake content.
'If a site has a large number of pages that are removed from search results due to policy, this will have a significant impact on the site's page rank, as it is a strong signal that the site is not of high quality. Similarly, Google will demote sites that have had a large amount of content removed due to blatant fake images.'
'This issue goes beyond search engines and we will continue to invest in industry collaboration and expert engagement to ensure we are tackling this issue as a society,' Higham said.
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