Lawmakers face deepfake threats

Technology

The Big Story

Lawmakers targeted by sexually explicit deepfakes

More than two dozen lawmakers have been the victims of deepfake pornography, with female lawmakers significantly more likely to be targeted than their male counterparts, according to a new report.

The report from the American Sunlight Project, an advocacy group focused on combatting disinformation, found more than 35,000 mentions of 26 lawmakers on prominent deepfake websites.

The impacted lawmakers included 25 women and one man.

“This report reveals a stark and disturbing reality,” Nina Jankowicz, CEO of the American Sunlight Project, said in a statement.

“Female lawmakers are being targeted by AI-generated deepfake pornography at an alarming rate,” she continued, adding, “This isn’t just a tech problem; it’s a direct assault on women in leadership and democracy itself.”

After the group notified the affected members of Congress, the content depicting 14 of these lawmakers was removed in less than 48 hours, according to the report.

The content depicting another nine lawmakers was entirely or mostly removed but remained on landing or search result pages.

“The vast majority of targets of deepfake sexual abuse are private citizens, and even minors, who frequently lack the resources to rectify the harm done to them,” Jankowicz said.

“I myself have been targeted with this vile content,” she added. “As both a survivor and a researcher, I strongly feel that all women like me deserve to be protected by their government and have a path to justice for the sexual abuse they have endured. It is long past time for Congress to act.”

The Senate passed legislation last week that would criminalize non-consensual, sexually explicit imagery, including deepfakes generated using artificial intelligence (AI), and require platforms to remove the content once notified.

The bill, known as the TAKE IT DOWN Act, is one of several pieces of legislation moving through Congress that has sought to address the growing problem of sexually explicit deepfakes.

Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.

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