Man creates deepfake Instagram account with ex-girlfriend’s photos, gains 1.4M followers

A woman in India had her identity stolen and used to create a viral deepfake Instagram account called “Babydoll Archi” that gained 1.4 million followers through AI-generated erotic content. The case highlights how artificial intelligence tools are making it easier for bad actors to exploit women’s images for revenge, while demonstrating the challenges of preventing and prosecuting such digital crimes.

What happened: Pratim Bora, a mechanical engineer and self-taught AI enthusiast, created the fake Instagram profile using private photos of his ex-girlfriend Sanchi, a homemaker from Dibrugarh, Assam.

• Bora initially used morphed real photos when he created the account in 2020, then later employed AI tools including ChatGPT and Dzine to generate deepfake content.
• The account gained significant traction starting in April 2024, eventually reaching 1.4 million followers after viral videos and photos, including one showing the fake persona dancing to a Romanian song and posing with adult film star Kendra Lust.
• Police arrested Bora on July 12, one day after Sanchi’s family filed a complaint, with authorities calling it an act of “pure revenge” following their relationship’s end.

The financial motive: Bora had monetized the fake account through subscription services and earned substantial revenue before his arrest.

• Police discovered the account had 3,000 subscriptions on Linktree and believe Bora earned approximately 1 million rupees total from the scheme.
• Investigators estimate he made 300,000 rupees in just the five days before his arrest, according to Senior Police Officer Sizal Agarwal.
• Authorities seized his laptop, mobile phones, hard drives, and bank documents as evidence.

Legal implications: The case involves multiple criminal charges that could result in significant prison time for the perpetrator.

• Bora faces charges including sexual harassment, distribution of obscene material, defamation, forgery to harm reputation, cheating by personification, and cybercrime.
• If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison under current Indian law.
• The victim had no social media presence and was unaware of the fake account until it went viral, as her family had been blocked from viewing the content.

The broader challenge: Legal experts say this type of AI-enabled abuse represents an evolution of existing revenge tactics against women, made easier by advancing technology.

• “What happened to Sanchi is horrible but almost impossible to prevent,” said Meghna Bal, an AI expert and lawyer.
• Bal noted that while deepfake abuse cases may be under-reported due to stigma, they represent a technological escalation of revenge tactics that have long targeted women.
• The victim can seek “right to be forgotten” protections through the courts, but completely removing traces from the internet remains extremely difficult.

Platform response: Meta has not responded to BBC queries about the specific case, though the company generally prohibits nudity and sexual content.

• The original Babydoll Archi Instagram account with 282 posts is no longer publicly available, but copies of the content continue circulating on social media.
• Last month, CBS reported that Meta removed ads promoting AI tools used to create sexually explicit deepfakes using real people’s images.
• Legal experts suggest existing laws may be sufficient to address such cases, but questions remain about regulating generative AI companies themselves.