Research finds deepfake porn sites targeted about 150 EU politicians

In short: New research says sexually explicit deepfake sites have targeted nearly 150 politicians across Europe, and most of the targets are women.

What's going on

A researcher reviewed around 160 internet domains linked to deepfake sexual abuse and other nonconsensual sexual content. Deepfakes are fake images or videos made with AI, like a convincing movie edit where someone’s face is pasted onto another person.

The analysis, led by researcher Benjamin Shultz and published by the German think tank Agora Digitale Transformation, found at least 138 women members of national parliaments from 22 European Union countries appeared or were mentioned on these sites. Only nine male members of parliament were referenced. Shultz estimated that women politicians were about 33 times more likely to be targeted.

Some politicians were shown in explicit videos. Others appeared in database-style pages with names and photos, sometimes alongside links to tools that claim to “digitally undress” people (like an app that tries to remove clothing from a photo). Shultz said these pages can act like gateways, making it easy to create new fake content in just a few clicks.

Politicians from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and France appeared most often in the findings. The research also suggests that more senior politicians are more likely to be targeted. Shultz said he contacted the politicians and shared guidance on how the content might be removed.

What to watch

Lawmakers and researchers warn this kind of abuse can intimidate women in public life and discourage others from running for office. Some action is starting, including plans in the UK and EU to ban “nudify” services, and recent takedowns have removed several of the sites named in the research. The next question is whether faster takedowns and clearer rules can reduce how easily this material is made and shared.

Source: Wired