When journalist Laurie Segall first stumbled upon Mr. Deepfakes — the largest deepfake pornography site on the internet, with an estimated 17 million monthly visitors at its peak — she couldn't shake one question: who was the anonymous man behind it? In part one of this four-part investigative series, Laurie introduces us to Joanne Chew, an LA-based artist and actor who discovered hundreds of AI-generated pornographic images and videos of herself online, made without her knowledge or consent. Joanne's story is just one example of the abuse enabled by Mr. Deepfakes — a site that functioned not only as a user-generated video platform, but also a thriving community where users learned to create deepfakes, monetized them, and pushed the technology further. With the help of some top cyber security experts, and a public call out to her online community for help, Laurie launches her investigation. Will an anonymous tip jumpstart her investigation?

If you have been targeted by sexually explicit deepfakes, we want to hear from you. Email us at hello@mostlyhuman.com. For help and resources, visit beyondmrdeepfakes.com. If you or a loved one need support, text HOP to 64673 or call/text 988.

Find Laurie’s short-form docuseries on Mr Deepfakes — in partnership with Paris Hilton — on TikTok.

If you have thoughts or questions for Laurie about this episode or anything Mostly Human, email us at hello@mostlyhuman.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.