It’s Not Porn, It’s Sexual Abuse: A Scoping Review of Sexual Deepfakes Public Opinions, Perpetration, and Harms

This article presents a scoping review of empirical research on public perceptions, the perpetration and harms associated with sexual deepfakes, nonconsensual explicit content fabricated through generative technologies. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses methodology, 14 peer-reviewed studies retrieved from three academic databases were analyzed. The literature predominantly focuses on Anglo-Western contexts, resulting in a significant absence of research from culturally diverse settings. The findings are organized into three main topics and related subthemes: (i) “public opinions,” which includes perceptions of sexual deepfake content, motivations, harms, construction of perpetrators’ identity, and the role of digital platforms; (ii) “perpetration,” which addresses the sociotechnical aspects of the sexual deepfakes, such as the accessibility of generative nudatory technologies and its relationship with the cultural frameworks surrounding the abuse; and (iii) “impacts and harms,” which details the real, embodied consequences experienced by victims and survivors and the barriers they face. The review identifies three critical areas of debate: (1) terminological debates surrounding sexual deepfakes; (2) differences between survey-based and online studies; and (3) empirical gaps and directions for research. Future research is encouraged to employ intersectional, survivor-centered, culturally grounded, and prevention-focused methodologies to better understand how sexual deepfakes are produced and experienced.