Deepfake Porn Used as Weapon to Silence and Degrade Women, Survivors Say

Women in public life are increasingly falling victim to a disturbing new form of abuse: deepfake pornography, used as a weapon to shame, demean, and silence them. Three prominent figures – TV presenter Narinder Kaur, Labour MP Jess Asato, and university lecturer Jill Salt – have come forward to share their shocking experiences.

Kaur discovered the abuse one morning in November when she opened the X app (formerly Twitter) and was confronted with explicit, AI-generated images of herself. "When GB News broadcaster Narinder Kaur opened the X app she was confronted by horrifying pornographic images of herself," the Daily Mail reported. These fabricated images, designed to humiliate, represent a growing trend of digitally manipulated material being used to attack women.

Lecturer Jill Salt also experienced the targeting of fabricated content. "Lecturer Jill Salt was another victim of degrading fake material circulated online, which manipulated innocent images she had posted on social media to create obscene content," according to the report. The ease with which personal photos can be manipulated and disseminated online underscores the pervasive nature of this threat.

Labour MP Jess Asato was also targeted. "Labour MP Jess Asato was also a victim of the degrading 'deepfake porn' circulated on digital platforms," the report stated. The use of such material against elected officials highlights the vulnerability of women in politics and the potential for this abuse to undermine their public service.

In response to the escalating issue, legislation has been introduced to combat this form of abuse. "In February this year it became a specific criminal offence to create or request a deepfake intimate image of an adult without their consent," the Daily Mail noted. This legal development signals a recognition of the severity of the problem and an effort to provide recourse for victims.