Snapchatis testing a new feature that will edit people’s faces into GIFs to create essentially harmless versions of the deepfake videos that have propagated online.
The feature, named Snapchat Cameos, is accessed through the Bitmoji button on the Snapchat keyboard. It allows users to take selfies and then have themselves inserted into a selection of pre-made GIFs. The app will then animate the person’s face, including their mouth movements, into the clip, tweaking the selfie to make various facial reactions to fit the chosen GIF. Users may then send the customized GIF to their friends through the app’s chat component.
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Snapchatconfirmedto TechCrunch that the feature was being tested on a limited basis in some international markets, including France. The company did not provide a specific release date for Snapchat Cameos, but said that the global launch is “soon.”
Snapchat Cameos represents a friendly application of deepfake technology, which has drawn criticism for its potential misuse. While some of thebest deepfake videos onlineare funny and entertaining, the technology has the potential todisruptpolitics by placing the faces of politicians in fake videos, or to create pornographic material using the faces of unknowing celebrities. Fortunately, it looks like Snapchat’s deepfakes will not be harmful in any way, as users will only be able to add their faces into premade GIFs.
Other new features that have recently rolled out for Snapchat include the3D Painttool that allows users to create 3D doodles by painting in augmented reality, the Analog lens filter byVSCOthat makes images and videos look like old film, and theTime Machinefilter that makes a person in a selfie look much younger or older.
