Former Member of Parliament Nadine Dorries has detailed the profound personal violation and shame she experienced after becoming a victim of deepfake pornography. In a personal account, Dorries described receiving a call from Thames Valley Police shortly after the August Bank Holiday, informing her that thousands of deepfake explicit images and videos of her had been discovered on electronic devices seized from an arrested individual.
Dorries, who previously served as an MP and held ministerial positions, stated that the discovery left her feeling more violated than any previous abuse or stalking she had endured during her political career. The AI-generated content, created using a technology known as 'nudification' which digitally undresses subjects, depicted her in sexual acts and had been streamed online, tagged with her name on social media.
"My face. My body. My voice. My eyes. My gestures and facial expressions. My identity. It was ME – undeniably me. But not actually me or my actions," Dorries wrote, describing the horrifying realization that a fabricated version of herself was being presented to potentially hundreds of thousands of people. She expressed deep concern that her family, friends, and colleagues might have seen these degrading images.
The former MP differentiated this experience from past political attacks, which she had learned to withstand due to her robust nature. She recounted instances of intense online abuse, threats, and even a stalker who harassed her for nine years, resulting in a court case and significant costs for the perpetrator. However, she noted that these past abuses, while severe, were at least attributable to human actions that could be defended against or disproven.
With deepfake technology, Dorries explained, the nature of the violation is different. "I cannot reverse the harm, the humiliation or shame. The images have already been seen. I can’t erase them from the minds of those who have seen them," she stated. She highlighted that the technology allows malicious actors to create content depicting individuals doing things they never did, which can be seen and believed by others.
The police informed Dorries that similar images had been created of three other female Members of Parliament and several television presenters. The cyber-crime specialist detective emphasized the sophistication of the AI technology, making it nearly impossible to distinguish the fake from reality.
Reflecting on her early political career, Dorries, who entered Parliament in 2005, expressed that if she had known she would become a victim of such out-of-control technology, she might never have entered public service. She voiced concerns about how individuals, particularly women, can defend themselves against these advanced tools and questioned what the future holds given the rapid pace of technological advancement.