2-10: My Image My Choice: Making a Doc on Deepfakes & Becoming Activists with Sophie Compton & Reuben Hamlyn

Oral Arguments

This week we have directors of Another Body, a documentary following a college student’s investigation after discovering deepfake content of herself online – and we get an inside look into the making of it. First, in the intro, Norma talks about the news that CA has passed Tyler’s Law (AB1109), which punishes online retailers for selling sodium nitrite to minors. She also talks about C.A. Goldberg’s new blog post on the legal rights of sex workers. Then, we get to our guests, Sophie Compton and Reuben Hamlyn. Sophie and Reuben tell us about their paths to making a documentary about deepfakes, and how they used AI in Another Body to anonymize the subject, “Taylor,” – and how Taylor found it to be a form of reclamation. They discuss their research speaking with victims of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) and what they learned about common impacts on survivors (especially internalized shame), and why these discussions need to be inclusive of all survivors of IBSA. Sophie and Reuben explain their process to ethically find a survivor to work with and get real about some of their challenges and best practices throughout (keyword: transparency). Norma, Sophie, and Reuben discuss the idea of a “perfect victim,” the unique effects of speaking out about IBSA on survivors who are public figures, and the positive impact that video diaries had on Taylor in her healing journey. Sophie and Reuben discuss their research pouring through 4chan forums and how their documentary and research turned into a movement, My Image My Choice. Finally, they discuss what’s next: advocating for the criminalization of deepfakes, shutting down sites dedicated to deepfakes, upcoming screenings of Another Body, a virtual summit in November, and more from My Image My Choice.

Info on Another Body:

Instagram @anotherbody.film

anotherbodyfilm.com/

Buy tickets for Another Body screening at IFC Center in NYC, 10/21/23 at 7:05 pm - post-screening Q&A with Norma Buster, Adam Eli, and directors Sophie Compton & Reuben Hamlyn:

https://tickets.ifccenter.com/websales/pages/ticketsearchcriteria.aspx?evtinfo=405515~8722a542-64c1-4c0b-af02-c3e8a239d769&_ga=2.150474742.152236870.1696462706-1267295534.1695929460

https://linktr.ee/anotherbody.film

My Image My Choice:

Instagram @myimagemychoice

https://myimagemychoice.org/

Follow Sophie Compton and Reuben Hamlyn:

Instagram @sophietaracompton @urghreub

Follow Norma Buster:

Instagram @normabuster_

Twitter @normabuster

OnlyFans https://onlyfans.com/normabuster

Follow Oral Arguments:

Instagram @oralargumentspodcast

Twitter @Oral_Arguments

C.A. Goldberg, PLLC Website:

https://www.cagoldberglaw.com/

More on the Adult Survivors Act in NY:

https://www.survivorslaw.com/

Articles Mentioned:

https://www.cagoldberglaw.com/legal-rights-of-sex-workers/

Tyler’s Law: https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1109/2023#:~:text=On%20or%20after%20July%201,years%20of%20age%20or%20older.