YouTube deletes 1,000 videos of ‘celebrity ads’, here’s why |

YouTube has reportedly taken down over 1,000 scam ad videos that featured advertisements, created by the use of AI technology, to scam users. The Google-owned platform said it has been investing resources to combat these AI-driven celebrity scam ads.
Following an investigation by 404 Media, YouTube removed more than 1,000 videos associated with an advertising ring that used AI to create deceptive ads featuring famous personalities like Taylor Swift, Steve Harvey, and Joe Rogan promoting Medicare scams.
As per the report, these videos had accumulated nearly 200 million views and were a source of frequent complaints from both users and celebrities.
YouTube said that it was fully aware of the issue and is actively working to prevent the proliferation of celebrity deepfakes.
YouTube removing other AI-generated content
Earlier this month, YouTube announced its plans to take action against AI-generated content that realistically portrays deceased minors or victims of well-documented violent events. The platform has updated its harassment and cyberbullying policies in this regard.
Reports suggested that some content creators were using AI technology to recreate the likeness of deceased or missing children, giving them a childlike “voice” to describe the details of their deaths.
YouTube has made it clear that any content violating this policy will be removed, and the creators will be notified via email.
Taylor Swift’s sexually explicit deepfakes
Meanwhile, sexually explicit deepfakes featuring Taylor Swift went viral on X (previously Twitter). One post alone garnered over 45 million views and 24,000 reposts before it was taken down, having been live for approximately 17 hours.
A report by 404 Media revealed that the origin of these images could be traced back to a Telegram group where explicit AI-generated images of women are shared.
According to cybersecurity firm Deeptrace, nearly 96% of deepfakes are pornographic in nature, and the overwhelming majority of these target women.