Deepfake Porn Used as Weapon to Silence Women, Experts Warn

Deepfake pornography is increasingly being weaponized to shame, demean, and silence women who are outspoken, according to recent accounts from public figures. Three women—a TV presenter, a campaigning Labour MP, and a university lecturer—have shared their experiences of being targeted with fabricated explicit material.

Narinder Kaur, a TV presenter, discovered she was a victim of this crime one weekday morning in November when she encountered horrifying pornographic images of herself on the X app, formerly known as Twitter. The images were digitally manipulated to appear real, causing her significant distress and humiliation.

University lecturer Jill Salt was another victim, having innocent images she posted on social media manipulated to create obscene content. This violation of her privacy and digital likeness caused her deep distress.

Labour MP Jess Asato also reported being targeted by similar degrading 'deepfake porn' circulated on digital platforms. The use of such material is seen as a tactic to discredit and silence women in public life.

In response to the growing problem, legislation was introduced. In February of the current year, it became a specific criminal offense to create or request a deepfake intimate image of an adult without their consent.

These personal accounts highlight the devastating impact of non-consensual deepfake material, particularly when used to target women in public roles, and underscore the importance of the legal measures enacted to combat this form of digital abuse.