Analysis of the abuse of deepfake applications and their impact on digital gender violence in Latin America and the Caribbean

Cuzcano-Chavez X.; González-Véliz C. · Veritas (2025)

Resumen

Current technologies are not neutral; they reflect the needs, perspectives, and experiences of their developers. These biases have led to the creation of digital weapons like deepfakes, a technology that is disproportionately used against women to create sexual content. This study examines the rise of deepfake applications in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), focusing on their availability, ease of use, and the risks they pose in contexts of structural inequality and digital gender-based violence. To that end, an automated data collection was carried out using an API, identifying 105 deepfake applications available on the Google Play Store as of December 2024. Subsequently, an evaluation was conducted based on criteria such as year, scope, design, accessibility, business models, and functionalities. Finally, a critical analysis was performed to understand how these tools shape power dynamics, perpetuate objectification narratives, and amplify digital violence against women. The findings reveal an intentional design that facilitates the adoption of these applications, removing technical barriers and normalizing the objectification of women's bodies, with 89.5% of these tools posing a potential danger to them. The research emphasizes the urgency of questioning the supposed neutrality of these technologies and the need to rethink their development from a perspective that contributes to building safer and more respectful digital environments for everyone. © (2025), (Pontificio Seminario Mayor San Rafael). All right reserved.