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- MrBeast vs. Deepfakes
TOGETHER WITH
It's Thursday and Meta’s experimental AI stickers are already raising some eyebrows (and the blood pressure of Disney’s PR team).
FAKE NEWS
Can TikTok keep deepfaked ads off its platform? The human version of MrBeast has doubts.
Here are a few words of wisdom: if MrBeast tries to sell you an iPhone 15 Pro on TikTok, it probably isn’t him—especially if said iPhone is priced at $2.
That sage advice might seem obvious to the social media savvy. But as MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson) pointed out in a recent X post, deepfakes of celebrities and creators are becoming “a serious problem” online.
Donaldson’s post references a specific ad, which weaponized an AI version of his likeness to scam viewers on TikTok (where deepfakes of public figures are prohibited). That video wasn’t particularly convincing and it was removed a few hours after it appeared—but Donaldson is only one of several celebrities facing AI identity theft. Despite widespread bans on deepfakes, individuals like Gayle King and Tom Hanks have also been impersonated within the last few months.
So, what can platforms do to keep AI imposters offline?
As Donaldson’s case demonstrates, the AI-assisted moderation tools used by platforms like TikTok aren’t always enough to prevent deepfakes from popping up on social media. That gap has led creators to theorize their own solutions. In response to MrBeast’s TikTok callout, for instance, fellow creator Kwebbelkop (aka Jordi van den Bussche) suggested that platforms utilize facial recognition tools, hidden watermarks, and stronger punishments for deepfakers.
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HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰
Despite tense relations with the U.S. government, TikTok’s parent company has acquired an additional 143,000 square feet of real estate in Culver City, California. (Tubefilter)
As Twitch embarks on a new round of layoffs, some staffers have been notified that their jobs are officially “at risk.” (Tubefilter)
After delivering a keynote at VidCon Baltimore, White House official Christian Tom has one major goal: rocking up to the 2024 election with more influencers on Biden’s side than ever. (Tubefilter)
Spotter is partnering with YouTube to provide creators access to the resources needed to dub content into new languages. (PR Newswire)
DATA • STREAMERS ON THE RISE 📈
KreekCraft branched into streaming because he was bored. 8 years later, he’s a Minecraft gaming icon.
KreekCraft never envisioned himself as a streamer. Back in 2014, the Minecraft gamer was still very much a “a video guy making YouTube videos.” People had encouraged Kreek to stream before, but he was never particularly keen on the idea. As a VOD creator, he liked having the ability to make cuts before his videos hit the internet. Doing everything live seemed a whole lot scarier.
And then, one fateful afternoon, Kreek got really bored.
In the face of overwhelming boredom, going live didn’t seem quite as scary. And it wasn’t: in fact, “everyone loved” Kreek’s first Minecraft stream—including Kreek himself. After that, the creator says, things “just took off from there.”
Kreek’s monthly viewership passed 150 million in September 2023. Data from Gospel Stats.
By 2016, Kreek had gained a significant foothold on YouTube—and Roblox was on the rise. The platform’s community-driven gameplay appealed to many of the same viewers who tuned in to watch Kreek’s Minecraft livestreams. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before his comment section was filled with requests for Roblox content. So, the creator gave it a try:
“It was just an immediate jump in audience engagement. Everyone loved it, so I started doing more and more Roblox until one day pretty much all I do is Roblox.”
A lot has happened since then, including a brief stint with baldness (Kreek shaved his head after “a bunch of kids on the internet” bullied him) and the addition of a few million subscribers. Find out more about Kreek’s rollercoaster ride to fame here.
GALA FOR GOOD
From charity streams to banana costumes, Twitch streamers are doing what it takes to protect the environment
QTCinderella and Maya Higa are leveraging their online platforms to save the trees. The two Twitch streamers joined forces on October 2 to emcee the Gala for Good, a live charity auction that raised approximately $250,000 for rainforest conservation.
QT and Higa weren’t alone in their quest to protect the environment.
Several other streamers donned rainforest-inspired garb—including banana and giraffe costumes—in honor of the big event, and showed up armed with a variety of auction items. While Higa painted a lush scene and Jarvis Johnson delivered a pair of boxing gloves, other donations were less conventional; Alinity, for instance, auctioned off a used pair of booty shorts.
The Gala for Good had its fair share of non-creator support, too.
Marvel Snap—a collectible card game that features superheroes—served as the event’s official sponsor, with a commercial produced by Ludwig’s firm, Offbrand, included in the broadcast. Twitch chipped in, too: the platform donated a Golden Kappa emote to the roster of auction items, which viewers bid on by chat throughout the following day.
“I’m so grateful for all the time people donated, I’m so grateful for all the items…I just can’t say that enough.”
By the time those sales were finalized, the Gala For Good had raised “around $250,000” for five organizations: The Rainforest Foundation, Amazon Watch, Rainforest Trust, Rainforest Alliance, and the World Wildlife Fund.
WATCH THIS 📺
Sorry, Mean Girls fans: the 2004 classic is no longer on TikTok (and it’s probably for the best)
Paramount’s celebration of Mean Girls has come and gone. After uploading the entire film to TikTok on October 3, Paramount has now taken down all 23 clips of footage (and resorted instead to posting regular old TikToks).
That removal is a blow to Mean Girls fans everywhere, but some TV writers are even less impressed—especially since Paramount’s decision to upload the film in the first place seems to violate the WGA’s brand-new residual rules. Find out more about that sticky situation here.
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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.