Spoofing in Media
Spoofing in Media
Spoofing is defined as the imitation of something while exaggerating features for comic effect. In the context of the internet, spoofing in general media takes many forms. Due to the nature of spoofs in media to imitate reality, and the availability of technology such as visual effects software or deepfake technology, various ethical concerns have been raised regarding realistic spoofs in media.
Examples of Spoofs
Corridor on YouTube
Military Robots
On October 6, 2019, YouTube creator Corridor Digital posted a video titled New Robot Makes Soldiers Obsolete (Corridor Digital). In the video, a CGI humanoid robot completes various military tasks, such as target shooting, movement drills, and shoot-or-don’t-shoot scenarios while unidentified human agents attempt to inhibit it. As the robot fires weapons at targets, the agents strike it with a hockey stick, throw balls at it, and push it over multiple times. In one drill, a human agent commits multiple acts of violence against the bot while the bot holds a pistol aimed at the agent. In another, the robot must complete a target identification drill in which two identically dressed figures (one a mannequin, the other a human agent) stand side-by-side wearing bags over their heads. The robot successfully identifies the mannequin and shoots it.
Throughout the entire video, the robot is able to successfully complete the tasks, shooting all targets with near-perfect accuracy using an array of weapons, and not harming a single human agent. However, at multiple points in the video, the robot displays behavior outside of what appears to be its intended functionality. At one point, the robot flips a table.
The robot’s successful task completion does not persist to the end of the video. In the last task shown, the robot is given a weapon and commanded to shoot a robot canine. The robot attempts to resist this order multiple times by walking away, but the human agents use physical force to refocus it on the task. Eventually, after multiple strikes, the robot fights back against the human agents: shoving them, discharging the weapon at their feet, taking the canine bot, and fleeing.
Labeled on the robot itself and multiple other objects in the video, as well as watermarked on the video is the name Bosstown Dynamics, a parody company of the real company Boston Dynamics. The human agents all wear realistic field attire and badges and behave realistically. All added VFX in the video, including the robot itself, the robot canine, and all weapons/weapon firing are extremely realistic in appearance. At no point in the video is it indicated that the video is a spoof.
The only indication provided that the video is a work of art rather than reality is a disclaimer in the video’s description: “This video is a comedic parody and is not owned, endorsed, created by, or associated with the Boston Dynamics company.”
The video now has over 85 million views on YouTube, and has been shared across multiple other platforms. Notable shares have been seen on platforms Instagram and TikTok, in which posters pass on the content as real, misleading viewers (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2022/11/09/fact-check-video-military-robot-cgi-parody-not-reality/8242729001/).
This element of deception raises a flag for ethical concerns as mass deception, especially in the context of the military or violent creations, can lead to mass panic. (Source pending).
Keanu Reeves Stops a Robbery
In another YouTube video uploaded by Corridor, uploaded July 13, 2019, actor Keanu Reeves stops a robbery at a convenience store as two bystanders film his heroic actions. Reeves steps in when a perpetrator reveals a gun and attempts to rob the store.
When the police approach, Reeves offers his car as a getaway vehicle to the robber. When the robber takes one of the bystanders hostage, Reeves instead insists on being the hostage himself. The robber eventually shoots and injures a responding police officer, prompting Reeves to kill him.
At the end of the video, it is revealed that the robber was staged, and that all participants in the video were acting. It is not revealed in the video, however, that Keanu Reeves was never in the store for filming. A line in the video description reads: “This video was created using Deepfake technology. If the double-360-neck-snap didn’t give it away: THIS ENTIRE PIECE WAS STAGED.”
The deepfake technology used in this spoof video masks the face of another actor with the face of actor Keanu Reeves. As with the Bosstown Dynamics video, the nature of this spoof is not revealed at any point in the video itself. Unaware users must scroll down to the description box and click the Show more button to see a text disclaimer.
Cybercriminals use spoofing to trick victims into revealing personal information by posing as a trusted brand or contact. Websites and emails are most commonly spoofed online. But attackers use other means as well, including caller ID spoofing, IP spoofing, and “Man-in-the-Middle” attacks
Spoofing is a cybersecurity attack in which the hacker disguises their username, email, address, phone number, ect to trick the user into thinking they are interacting with a trustworthy source. Hackers often impersonate a trusted person or band to convince the user to provide sensitive information. Spoofing is a type of fraud in which an attacker impersonates another entity, such as a person or device, in order to gain unauthorized access to a system or steal sensitive information. There are several types of spoofing, including IP spoofing, DNS spoofing, and email spoofing, each of which involves disguising the identity of the attacker to trick a victim into providing access or sensitive information.
