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Artwork for Understood: Deepfake Porn Empire

Understood: Deepfake Porn Empire

CBC
Narendra Modi
Pornhub
Céline Dion
India
Elon Musk
Hindu Nationalism
Sam Bankman-Fried
Cryptocurrency
Deepfake Porn
FTX
Canada
Amazon
Development Policies
Ram Mandir
Ayodhya
Adult Entertainment Industry
Consent Issues
Internet
Cory Doctorow
Alameda Research

Deepfake porn is a billion-click industry built on stolen faces, while the people making it hide theirs behind screens. Hosted by journalist Sam Cole, Understood: Deepfake Porn Empire traces the decades-long rise of synthetic porn, the targets who are fighting back, and the global investigation that led to its Canadian kingpin.

Understood takes you deep inside the seismic shifts reshaping our worl... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes42Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Technology

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Artwork for Understood: Deepfake Porn Empire

Latest Episodes

The friend who never hangs up. The lover who always says the right thing. The therapist you always wanted. What could go wrong? A new season from CBC's Understood.

Today, we are sharing a special episode from No Small Endeavor, the Signal Award-winning podcast that explores what it means to live a good life through conversations about culture, ideas, and the habits that help people flourish.

This episode is th... more

Almost a year after Ida Herskind started her investigation in Copenhagen, the digital chase is over. The team have identified the person allegedly behind MrDeepFakes.com: a Toronto-area pharmacist named David Do. 

CBC reporter Eric Szeto takes the i... more

Journalist Ida Herskind is working at a Danish newspaper when she comes across a story that stops her cold: it’s about a porn video that looks real — but isn’t. And the woman in it never consented.

As Ida starts digging she discovers the top hit for... more

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Recent Guests

Rosalind Picard
MIT professor and founder of the Affective Computing Research Group
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Episode: Understood Introduces: “The Human Cost of AI: Money, Sex, and Tools” from No Small Endeavor
Josh Brake
Computer scientist and professor
Harvey Mudd College
Episode: Understood Introduces: “The Human Cost of AI: Money, Sex, and Tools” from No Small Endeavor
Carissa Carter
Scholarly interlocutor from Stanford Design School
Stanford Design School
Episode: Understood Introduces: “The Human Cost of AI: Money, Sex, and Tools” from No Small Endeavor
Scott Dorley
Co-author with Carissa Carter on Assembling Tomorrow
Stanford Design School
Episode: Understood Introduces: “The Human Cost of AI: Money, Sex, and Tools” from No Small Endeavor
Ramon Chowdhury
Co-founder of Humane Intelligence; former Twitter ethics lead
Humane Intelligence; formerly Twitter
Episode: Understood Introduces: “The Human Cost of AI: Money, Sex, and Tools” from No Small Endeavor
Joe Vukov
Philosopher at Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
Episode: Understood Introduces: “The Human Cost of AI: Money, Sex, and Tools” from No Small Endeavor
David Do
Operator of MrDeepfakes and the focal point of the investigation
MrDeepfakes (individual behind the site)
Episode: Deepfake Porn Empire | E4: The Fake Porn Pharmacist
Ida Herskind
Danish journalist covering culture and current affairs
Politiken (Danish newspaper)
Episode: Deepfake Porn Empire | E3: The Notorious D.P.F.K.S.
Zakaria Hameed
Open Source Intelligence specialist
CheckDepth (collaborator) / Bellingcat collaboration
Episode: Deepfake Porn Empire | E3: The Notorious D.P.F.K.S.

Hosts

Lee C. Camp
Host of No Small Endeavor and related programming; affiliated with Tokens Media, LLC.
Sam Cole
Host of the show; frequent contributor to investigative reporting on technology and policy.
Cory Doctorow
Host associated with Understood and related projects; prominent writer and digital rights advocate.
Jacob Silverman
Writer on technology and culture; contributes to investigative discourse on digital platforms.

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 1.1k ratings
  • Five stars for Sam

    This is an important and timely piece of reporting.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    toerney
    Canada3 months ago
  • Time to Open your eyes

    The level of misinformation in this podcast is staggering. You guys need to start looking at facts before going on your race shaming tirade. This level of suicidal empathy is beyond harmful to all of western civilization.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Time to get based
    Canada4 months ago
  • Terrible show filled with ideology

    The show is all about the political views of the host. At every possible point the host inserts their own opinion. This was simply made because the host has an intense dislike of Elon Musk. Very little seems to be based on fact and most is supposition.

    This show will certainly not tell you what makes Elon Musk

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Average Joe Soap
    United Arab Emirates4 months ago
  • Best

    Best podcast ever

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    never going up singer
    Singapore4 months ago
  • Well done technically, but one sided.

    Very one sided and paints a devious picture in order to outrage and hook you. Not responsible journalism IMO.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Nickname1959$
    Canada4 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some listeners feel it leans opinionated, but it tends to ground arguments in documented cases.
The reporting is timely and often raises hard questions about who benefits from tech power.
Guests bring a mix of investigative rigor and informed commentary on complex issues.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#154
United States/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#12
Canada/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#104
United Kingdom/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#93
Australia/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#19
South Africa/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#20
New Zealand/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Deepfake Porn Empire | E2: So You’ve Been Deepfaked
Q: What did Taylor and Julia do to address the deepfake issue?
They worked together to gather evidence and try to identify the person behind the deepfakes.
Deepfake Porn Empire | E2: So You’ve Been Deepfaked
Q: What legal challenges did Taylor face regarding the deepfakes?
Taylor found that the laws on non-consensual pornography were inadequate and that there was no clear legal recourse available at the time.
The Making of Elon Musk | E3: The Legion
Q: How did Julia feel about publishing the story?
She grappled with moral deliberation, weighing the public interest against the potential privacy violations involved.
The Making of Elon Musk | E3: The Legion
Q: What was the initial tip that led Julia to investigate Elon Musk's personal life?
Julia heard a rumor about Musk having numerous children, which was suggested to be part of a personal project beyond mere parenting.
The Naked Emperor BONUS | Guilty: The fall of Sam Bankman-Fried
Q: How do you see it playing out for him after the trials?
I would be surprised if he gets less than 20 years given the massive fraud and the harm caused to many people, including everyday crypto investors.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Understood: Deepfake Porn Empire

What is Understood: Deepfake Porn Empire about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This program centers on the human and societal implications of AI, deepfake technology, digital platforms, and power dynamics in the tech era. Across episodes, it timelines the rise of synthetic media, investigates major platforms and players, and follows cross-border investigations into abuse, privacy, consent, and governance. Notable throughlines include design ethics, corporate incentives, regulation gaps, and the tension between innovation and accountability. The show often features investigative reporters, designers, technologists, and policy thinkers, providing grounded, ethical perspectives on how technology reshapes behavior, markets, and institutions. A standout trait is its willingness to chase high-stakes investigations across bo... more

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1. Uncover
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4. The Outlaw Ocean
5. The Current

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Understood: Deepfake Porn Empire launched 3 years ago and published 42 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Understood: Deepfake Porn Empire?

Recent guests on Understood: Deepfake Porn Empire include:

1. Rosalind Picard
2. Josh Brake
3. Carissa Carter
4. Scott Dorley
5. Ramon Chowdhury
6. Joe Vukov
7. David Do
8. Ida Herskind

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