Sexually Explicit Deepfake Sites Target 100-Plus Politicians in Europe
| Source: Wired AI
Tags: deepfakes, nonconsensual-content, EU-AI-Act, gender-bias, synthetic-media, AI-harms
A study of 160 deepfake abuse websites found 138 female MPs from 22 EU countries targeted with nonconsensual explicit content — women are 33 times more likely to appear than male MPs, confirming deepfake porn as a systematic tool to push women out of public life.
Details
Researcher Benjamin Shultz at Agora Digitale Transformation compiled profiles of 5,800+ EU national MPs and ran custom searches across approximately 160 domains hosting deepfake abuse content. He found 138 women MPs from 22 EU countries had appeared on or been referenced in these sites. Only nine male MPs were referenced in any way, giving a 33-to-1 gender disparity.\n\nThe harm is not uniform: some politicians have explicit fabricated videos circulated, while others appear in database-style listings linked directly to deepfake creation tools — effectively a targeting directory. Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and France had the highest concentrations. Seniority correlated with targeting: the more prominent the politician, the higher the probability of being listed.\n\nDutch MP Suzanne Kröger, who was among those targeted, framed it as part of broader online intimidation against women in politics. Multiple researchers note the chilling effect: documented psychological harm plus reputational damage that persists into post-political careers.\n\nShultz personally notified all affected MPs with removal guidance. The research was published by Agora Digitale Transformation. WIRED withheld website names to avoid amplifying them. The findings arrive as the EU AI Act's provisions on synthetic media and CSAM are entering enforcement.