Female politicians worldwide deepfake (Jan 2025)

From the United States to Italy, Britain, and Pakistan, female politicians are increasingly becoming victims of AI-generated deepfake pornography or sexualized images. An online boom in non-consensual deepfakes is outpacing efforts to regulate the technology globally, with cheap AI tools digitally undressing women. This imagery is used to tarnish reputations, jeopardize careers, undermine public trust, and create conditions for blackmail or harassment. In the U.S., the American Sunlight Project (ASP) identified over 35,000 instances of deepfake content depicting 26 members of Congress—25 women. Nearly one in six women in Congress have been victims. ASP did not release names to avoid public searches but privately notified offices. In the UK, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was among over 30 British female politicians targeted by a deepfake porn website. In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is seeking damages from two men who created deepfake porn videos of her. In Pakistan, a deepfake video of lawmaker Meena Majeed was debunked, and Information Minister Azma Bukhari was targeted by a deepfake video.