Manchester artist IAMDDB, who was born in Portugal, found herself at the centre of a dispute over digital identity when an official social media account representing the state of Israel shared a video using an artificial intelligence recreation of her likeness. The unauthorised clip, posted on Thursday, October 15, prompted swift public condemnation from the musician after she discovered her face and voice had been repurposed for political messaging without her knowledge.
The video arrived online alongside the caption, ‘GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM!’ We did. Inside the clip, a computer-generated figure closely modelled on IAMDDB delivered a confrontational script, stating, “Colonisers? Say the name. Jews from Judea, it’s in the damn name.” The digital avatar appeared to be derived directly from imagery taken during a photoshoot she took part in back in 2018. Following a wave of online criticism, the account operators removed the upload, but the footage had already circulated widely enough for the artist to intervene.
IAMDDB initiated her public response on X, where she directly challenged the team running the account, asking why they had chosen to steal her identity for content she had never agreed to be part of. She soon followed that post with an extensive statement shared to her Instagram page, outlining her total separation from the production. In that message, she clarified that she had no participation, awareness, or consent regarding the clip or the ideas it promoted. Emphasising that she never authorized the use of her physical appearance, she noted that her creative output is grounded in principles of love, personal freedom, and human connection.
Her Instagram statement also drew a firm ideological line between her beliefs and the stance presented in the video. The musician explained that she opposes the killing and suffering of innocent people, offering her support to displaced families and pointing directly to the hardships experienced by Palestinian people. Calling for peace throughout the Middle East, she made a point of noting that her face, her voice, and her values remain solely her own property.
Anticipating scrutiny regarding her touring history, IAMDDB addressed a previous concert she played in Israel earlier in her career. She explained that the performance took place during an early phase of her journey as an artist, when she was young and eager for opportunities to travel and perform overseas. At the time, she said, she lacked the understanding of the political situation that she holds now, adding that the past booking should not be taken as an endorsement of state actions or policy. For a musician who released Love Is War, Volume 6 in February 2024, maintaining strict ownership over how her art and public profile are presented continues to be essential.
The episode underlines the risks confronting musicians as generative video technology becomes more accessible to institutional accounts. When an image from a years-old promotional shoot can be scraped and turned into a synthetic spokesperson for state messaging, the boundary between an individual artist and unsolicited political advocacy dissolves rapidly. By demanding accountability across her platforms, IAMDDB made it clear that her identity cannot be commandeered for causes she does not support.
