Deepfakes Between Reality and Illusion: Ethical Risks and Mitigation Lessons from the Reface Face-Swap App

Deepfake face-swapping has moved from specialized labs to consumer applications, enabling rapid creation of realistic synthetic media. While it supports entertainment and creative expression, it also raises ethical risks involving privacy, consent, identity misuse, misinformation, and erosion of trust. This paper presents a qualitative, research-based case study of the Reface application using a structured audit lens to assess consent, facial-data handling, transparency, and misuse pathways. The analysis highlights non-consensual likeness use, unclear user understanding of data practices, reputational and psychological harms, and broader impacts on authenticity. We conclude with practical recommendations, including stronger consent controls, clearer disclosure, safeguards against misuse, and supportive governance measures.