Characterizing Resource Sharing Practices on Underground Internet Forum Synthetic Non-Consensual Intimate Image Content Creation Communities

TL;DR

This study analyzes online forums involved in synthetic non-consensual intimate imagery, revealing resource sharing practices, actor behaviors, and potential intervention points to improve regulation and deterrence.

Contribution

It provides an integrated analysis of multiple online communities, characterizing resource sharing and knowledge transfer in illicit SNCII content creation.

Findings

Users with different technical skills share a wide range of resources.

Knowledge transfer between experts and newcomers facilitates resource propagation.

Identifies gaps in current SNCII regulation and suggests intervention points.

Abstract

Many malicious actors responsible for disseminating synthetic non-consensual intimate imagery (SNCII) operate within internet forums to exchange resources, strategies, and generated content across multiple platforms. Technically-sophisticated actors gravitate toward certain communities (e.g., 4chan), while lower-sophistication end-users are more active on others (e.g., Reddit). To characterize key stakeholders in the broader ecosystem, we perform an integrated analysis of multiple communities, analyzing 282,154 4chan comments and 78,308 Reddit submissions spanning 165 days between June and November 2025 to characterize involved actors, actions, and resources. We find: (a) that users with differing levels of technical sophistication employ and share a wide range of primary resources facilitating SNCII content creation as well as numerous secondary resources facilitating dissemination; and (b) that knowledge transfer between experts and newcomers facilitates propagation of these illicit resources. Based on our empirical analysis, we identify gaps in existing SNCII regulatory infrastructure and synthesize several critical intervention points for bolstering deterrence.