High profile cases like this point to the growing ubiquity of deepfake technology in our society. Being able to convincingly replicate an individual’s physical likeness has real-world implications for both consumers and businesses, especially as we begin to interact more in Web 3.0 environments. Regardless of whether Willis has consented to his image being used, the issue of consent will not stop cyber criminals from stealing the likeness of others.

The lack of security and identity protection is growing rapidly in the development of Web 3.0. This issue of fake users and bots, already endemic throughout today’s internet, is likely to plague future digital interactions.

A cautious and security-first approach must also be applied to future digital interactions within Web 3.0. Often, security has been focused on securing end-to-end processes. However, the growing threat of deepfakes shows there’s been a lack of securing and authenticating the actual interactions between people or companies. Organizations must take a step back and recognize how they are exposed as they transition to Web 3.0. The answer rests on authenticating and identifying all involved parties.