Italy’s PM slams sexualised AI-generated images of herself - Euronews.com
In early June 2026, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly condemned AI-generated deepfake images of herself circulating online, highlighting the dangers of the technology.
- Incident date
- Jun 2026
- Target
- Giorgia Meloni
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has criticized AI-generated deepfake images depicting her in a sexualized manner. She warned that deepfakes are a dangerous tool that can deceive, manipulate, and target anyone.
What happened
Meloni posted one of the fake AI-generated photos on her social media accounts. The images, showing her in scanty underclothes, had been circulating for several days. Meloni noted that some social media users believed the images were real, and she urged people to verify information before believing or sharing it. Doctored sexualized images of the prime minister had surfaced before, particularly the previous year on a pornographic website. In response to previous incidents, the government passed a law criminalizing deepfakes that caused "unjust harm" to the person depicted. In 2024, Meloni sued two men for posting fake videos of her on a US pornographic website. Meloni stated that she could defend herself, but that many others cannot.