Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, is suing for damages of 100,000 euros ($109,345) after deepfake videos of her appeared online. According to investigators, the two men recorded explicit videos of Ms Meloni by overlaying her face on the body of another person, which they then posted online. An inquiry is underway into the allegations of videotape production by a father and son, ages 40 and 74. 

The police claim that by following the smartphone used to upload the videos, they could find them. The disputed deepfake video was made in 2022 before she was named the nation’s Prime Minister.  Interestingly, some defamation cases in Italy can be prosecuted as crimes and carry jail sentences. On July 2, Ms. Meloni will give a testimony in court. According to the indictment, the videos were viewed “millions of times” over several months after being posted on a pornographic website in the United States.

The Italian PM’s legal team stated that the damages claim was “symbolic”. Additionally, they said that Ms Meloni would give the full sum to “support women who have been victims of male violence.” The demand for the compensation, according to Ms Meloni’s attorney, Maria Giulia Marongiu, will “send a message to women who are victims of this kind of abuse of power not to be afraid to press charges.”

The Widespread Impact of Deepfake Attacks

Due to advancements in artificial intelligence, deepfakes have become more realistic and commonplace. Those who create deepfake images and videos have also targeted celebrities. Perhaps the most well-known person to be impacted by deepfake porn was US popstar Taylor Swift, whose sexually explicit photos appeared on social media and in chat rooms. As per the US media reports, before the account that posted the images was suspended, some posts sharing the photos—which showed the popstar in suggestive and explicit sexual poses—amassed more than 27 million views and 260,000 likes in just 19 hours. 

Not Only Celebs But Common Individuals are Targeted

Many have raised concerns regarding the potential for deepfakes to deceive the public. Prior research by cybersecurity contains non-consensual pornography, with women being the target 96% of the time. It is not only public figures and celebrities who are the targets of attacks. A woman came forward in 2022 after finding deepfakes of herself online. Kate Isaacs, a campaigner to have non-consensual material taken down from the internet, informed The Independent that it was “violating.” In 2023, sharing deepfake photos became illegal in the United Kingdom.