The story is not about Linda Chung or any other single victim. It is a story about all of us. It is a stark reminder of the responsibility we have as digital citizens to reject, report, and refuse to engage with content that violates the bodily autonomy of others, even if it is in pixel form. As consumers of the internet, our vigilance, awareness, and demand for change are the most powerful tools we have to combat this evolving threat.

: Use the reporting tools built into platforms like YouTube, Weibo, and Instagram to flag defamatory content or identity theft.

Rely on reputable news outlets and verified official social media profiles for legitimate updates regarding public figures.

| Statistic | Data | | :--- | :--- | | | Over the first nine months of 2023, 113,000 deepfake videos were uploaded—a 54% increase from all of 2022. | | Total Reach | By late 2023, it was forecast that more deepfake videos would be created in that single year than in all previous years combined. | | Victim Count | Deepfake pornography has targeted at least 250 British celebrities, with a Channel 4 investigation finding that all but two of them were women. | | Massive Viewership | Videos on the four most popular deepfake sites have been viewed over 4.2 billion times in total. |

A viral video claimed that Chung was promoting a fraudulent fundraising campaign for disaster relief in the Philippines. The footage combined genuine clips of Chung speaking at a legitimate charity event with fabricated subtitles suggesting she was soliciting donations for a non‑existent organization. The video garnered over 2 million views before fact‑checking outlets identified the discrepancy.

Links that use provocative titles to trick users into clicking, only to redirect them to phishing sites, malware downloads, or subscription scams.