The misuse of prominent individuals’ names in online advertisements for financial products and investment schemes has become a widespread problem, especially with the rise of deepfake technology and AI-generated content. Many high-profile figures, including Johann Rupert, Nicky Oppenheimer, Patrice Motsepe, and Elon Musk, have seen their names and images falsely associated with AI trading apps and dubious investment opportunities. These misleading ads often appear on websites and social media, giving unsuspecting people the impression that these figures endorse these products. Biznews tribe member Brian Follett, questions why these influential individuals, along with major platforms like Google and YouTube, have not taken stronger action to combat this unauthorized use of their likenesses. In this Mailbox entry, Follett raises the issue of accountability, suggesting that both these individuals and the platforms hosting these ads should consider legal recourse to protect the public from being misled and possibly scammed.
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Brian Follett writes:
Just a question to you on the advertising re Financial markets & trading on companies Website etc ??
Isn’t it time that Mr Rupert & his wealthy cronies like Oppenheimer, Motsepe & Musk etc whose names are being used to promote a number of those AI Trading Apps etc & other financial Websites started to either confirm or deny their “association” with the companies that “use” them to promote their products which might well be a Scam & thus prejudice financial security of SA citizens.
It thus appears that on many of the Websites etc that their names / pictures / comments are associated with are scams yet they have never had the courage to post denials on the Internet etc that they are not associated or recommending the products supplied by the company & should demand that there Pictures / Comments etc be removed from the Apps / Website etc or they will take legal action.
Isn’t it time these gentlemen & Google & You Tube faced the full wrath of the law as they have misled the citizen & should they not be held accountable.
Maybe someone should take legal action against these individuals & claim damages for the loss of funds as they were misled by the adverts & the individuals who supposedly supported the company. I await your response in due course.
Our response:
Thank you for sharing your concerns about prominent individuals’ names used in financial advertising. The apparent misuse of influential names in promoting potentially misleading financial products is a severe issue. As you noted, the unauthorised use of public figures can mislead unsuspecting investors. These individuals are not involved with these platforms, but for them to address such misuse is challenging, given the rapid spread of online misinformation. Both consumer awareness, stricter regulations and a more responsible attitude by we the people (‘if it looks too good to be true it is…”) are essential to combat these misleading ads. Thank you again for highlighting this, as we agree that protecting public interests in financial matters is critical.
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