In early February, Loyek posted a video on YouTube in which she said she received a message from someone saying her photos and videos had been stolen and used on Chinese Instagram, Xiaohongshu.
With the help of an informant, Loyek discovered dozens of social media accounts using images of her that she was unaware of.
Each account accumulated between 1,000 and 150,000 fans.
The content is similar, with Kroonroyek speaking fluent Mandarin, praising China and celebrating good relations with Russia.
Loyek said he does not speak Chinese.
“I love China. I love Chinese culture. I want to live in China for the rest of my life,” Fake Royek said in Mandarin in the video.
Another video talks about Russian marriage customs, and another says Chinese men are the best boyfriends for Russian women.
In one of the accounts, @Natasha Imported Foods, Fake Royek says in Mandarin: “While everyone else is moving away from Russia, only China is quietly supporting it. China and Russia are good neighbors. Sino-Russian friendship will last forever.”
This account displays advertisements and product links for Russian sweets.
“It’s kind of crazy. I haven’t made a single dollar from YouTube so far and she’s using my face to make money. It’s so funny to me,” Loyeck said in her YouTube video. That’s true.”
After viewing hundreds of accounts, she said: “The main story behind these clones is to present me or my clone as a subjective image of a Russian person and strengthen the relationship between the two countries.
“As a Ukrainian, this is obviously upsetting to me. After all, during the air raids on Ukraine, my family had to hide and hundreds of thousands of fellow Ukrainians were displaced due to Russian attacks. people are injured, injured, or killed.
“Now I see my copy, my clone, defending the Russian Federation and sympathizing with it,” Loyek said.
She said she had no idea who was behind the account or why they chose her face to create the content, adding that no one had contacted her to ask for permission.
The “face-altering” technology, known as deepfakes in the AI industry, has sparked controversy on the mainland due to its wide use in e-commerce.
Last year, a Chinese clothing brand came under fire for using technology to change the face of a salesperson during a livestream session with Chinese actress and singer Yang Mi.