Social platform TikTok is launching testing of a new tool aimed at combating the unauthorized use of content creators' likenesses. The feature, named Likeness Detection, is currently available to a limited group of creators in the United States.
This optional tool is designed to automatically search for AI-generated content that uses a specific blogger's face. When such material is detected, the system allows the creator to promptly file a complaint against a deepfake or a fake account impersonating them.
How verification works
To activate the feature, the user must undergo a two-step identity verification through a third-party service, Jumio. The procedure includes a real-time selfie and scanning an identification document. The company emphasizes that it does not store copies of the submitted documents, and biometric data is used solely to find matches in the system.
From my perspective, this is an important step in the platform's development. The deepfake problem is becoming critical for influencers, whose image is their primary asset. However, the tool's effectiveness will directly depend on the speed of moderation's response to complaints and the algorithms' ability to distinguish legitimate parodies from malicious fakes.