4chan’s ‘Wizards’ Nudify Women on Demand
▼ Summary
– A 4chan user requested a “wizard” to create a deepfake nudifying a woman in a vacation photo, specifying “big juggs and thick body,” and the request was fulfilled with an edited image.
– New research from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue examines how 4chan’s deepfake “wizards” collaboratively create nonconsensual intimate imagery (NCII) to strengthen a misogynistic male community.
– These 4chan threads serve as an origin point for spreading NCII to private platforms like Telegram and Discord, following a consistent script of hierarchical social norms.
– Men submit photos and commands for explicit scenarios, such as “pregnant” or “BDSM style,” and wizards who fulfill these requests receive praise and are called “sir” or “master.”
– The dynamic mirrors the “urge for power and control” in sexual abuse, with wizards gaining status by digitally stripping women naked for others.
On a recent thread on 4chan’s /r/ board, a platform dedicated to explicit image requests, an anonymous user posted a photograph of a blonde woman in glasses, wearing a black jacket over a white tank top and ripped jeans. She posed casually on a low wall, with a scenic European cityscape and river stretching behind her. The image looked like something you might scroll past on a friend’s travel Instagram, except for one detail: someone had been cropped out of the frame on the left side.
The user’s request was explicit. They wanted a “wizard” to alter the image, stripping the woman of her clothing while keeping her jacket on. The term “wizard” is 4chan slang for someone skilled at creating deepfakes that make women appear nude or engaged in sexual acts. The specifications were precise: “big juggs and thick body,” with a bonus for preserving the jacket. Within hours, a reply appeared with the doctored image, showing the same woman in the same pose, now shirtless but still wearing the jacket. The original poster responded, “Thank you so much wiz. Great edit <3.”
This kind of exploitation is not limited to any single individual. Anyone whose image is publicly available can become a target, but the vast majority of victims are women. New research from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a group focused on extremism and hate speech, reveals that these acts of synthetic nonconsensual intimate imagery (NCII) are not just isolated incidents. They are part of a collaborative process that reinforces a male community built on shared misogyny.
Researcher Leonie Oehmig, who authored the study, examined the dark ecosystem of 4chan’s photo-editing “wizards” and their followers. Her work shows that these threads serve as a starting point for spreading NCII across more private platforms like Telegram and Discord. More strikingly, they follow a predictable script and rigid social hierarchy.
Men seeking to degrade women supply the original photos and issue commands. WIRED reviewed posts demanding everything from “black bikini” to “pregnant” to “her hands tied in BDSM style.” Oehmig’s paper describes requests for images that place women in humiliating scenarios, involving spit, smeared makeup, or symbolic contexts like crucifixion or circus displays. When a wizard fulfills such a fantasy, they are showered with praise. “Holy hell, you truly work miracles,” one user wrote in response to a wizard’s work.
“It was so glorifying,” Oehmig told WIRED. “It’s like, ‘Do your magic, work your magic.’ These people who were creating this abusive material are referred to as ‘sir’ or ‘master.’ I guess that’s one of the reasons why the creators actually do it.” The term “wizard” also carries a specific meaning in incel culture, referring to a man who remains a virgin past age 30.
Oehmig’s analysis spanned thousands of posts from early December 2025 through early March 2026. The pattern repeated relentlessly, revealing a power structure where men who cannot digitally strip women naked worship those who can. In Oehmig’s view, this dynamic mirrors the “urge for power and control” that underlies sexual abuse itself.
(Source: Wired)
