The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) on Friday urged Congress to pass a law that would outlaw the creation, sharing, distribution, or possession of pornographic materials generated through artificial intelligence (AI) technology, commonly known as “deepfakes.”
CICC chief Undersecretary Renato “Aboy” Paraiso, in an interview on PTV’s Bagong Pilipinas, said current laws do not adequately cover AI-generated pornography, leaving law enforcement with little ground to act.
“At present, deepfakes can be argued as ‘victim-less crimes’ because they can be claimed as mere animations or fictional characters,” Paraiso explained. “That is why we need a law to prohibit their creation and spread.”
The CICC’s Threat Monitoring Center has traced most deepfake content circulating in the Philippines to overseas sources, often tied to organized criminal groups. Paraiso warned that proceeds from scams and illegal gambling are being funneled into expanding these illicit online activities.
Unlike fake news or online gambling content, which can be detected through automated filters, deepfakes require real-time analysis, making detection far more difficult.
While social media platforms can quickly take down flagged deepfake materials, Paraiso said pornographic deepfakes often bypass mainstream sites and circulate instead on the dark web.
He also urged the public to help combat online crimes by reporting deepfakes, scams, illegal gambling, child pornography, and similar offenses through hotline 1326, which operates 24/7 and allows complainants to track the progress of their cases.
“This is not just about technology—it is about protecting people from exploitation and preventing organized crime from gaining new ground,” Paraiso stressed.