One in six female European Parliament members targeted by deepfake pornography

Fifty members of the European Parliament, including 46 women, have been depicted in or associated with deepfake pornography, according to a report released on Monday by Germany-based civil society group Agora Digitale Transformation.

The findings indicate that roughly one in six female MEPs has been targeted, the report said. Deepfake pornography, also known as AI-generated non-consensual intimate imagery, uses generative artificial intelligence to create sexually explicit depictions of people without their consent.

Researchers examined hundreds of websites known to host or produce AI-generated sexual content, including sites associated with deepfake pornography, “celebrity leaks” and inappropriate candid images of women in public life.

They searched the names of all 720 MEPs across 200 websites using a “Google” Custom Search engine. The analysis identified 50 members — 46 women and four men — as depicted in or associated with deepfake pornography.

The report said exposure to this harm falls overwhelmingly on women, is amplified by the visibility of public office and affects political groups across the spectrum.

The European Union is taking steps to address AI-generated sexual content. It is set to ban AI-powered nudifier apps from Dec. 2 and is investigating the use of similar technology involving “Grok” on social media company “X”.