Austrian MEP discovers nude deepfakes

Lena Schilling of the Green party learned last month that nude deepfakes of herself were circulating online. The images used photos from one of her first press conferences, digitally altered to remove her clothing.

“I felt disgusted.”

Fifty MEPs targeted by sexualised deepfakes

According to a report by Agora Digitale Transformation, fifty MEPs have been targeted by sexualised deepfakes. Forty-six of them are women. An earlier report found one hundred thirty-eight female parliamentarians from twenty-two EU countries affected.

Women thirty-three times more likely to be targeted

The Agora Digitale Transformation report found women were thirty-three times more likely than their male colleagues to be depicted in or associated with deepfake pornography.

Schilling calls it digital violence against women

Schilling described the images as a form of digital violence against women piled on top of disproportionate sexist abuse and harassment.

“These things make going into politics even harder than it is already.”

Other targets fear speaking out

Schilling said she had spoken to other female MEPs targeted by deepfakes, but they expressed fears about coming forward. She urged them to speak up, saying they did nothing wrong and the misuse must stop.

“But there's nothing to be ashamed of. People misused your photos, you did nothing wrong.”

Letter calls for enforcement of EU ban

Schilling and German Green MEP Terry Reintke initiated a letter signed by one hundred nineteen MEPs calling on officials to enforce a forthcoming ban on apps and websites that use AI to undress women, scheduled…

“A ban on paper protects no one until it is enforced.”

Schilling pushes for closing loopholes

Schilling said the aim was to push national authorities to close loopholes allowing nudifier apps to continue functioning in the EU.

“Every woman who wants to run for office should be able to do so without being afraid of being undressed against her will.”