Deepfake porn sites target 138+ female MPs across EU
Original: Sexually Explicit Deepfake Sites Target 100-Plus Politicians in Europe
Why This Matters
Systemic deepfake targeting of elected officials signals a direct threat to democratic participation by women.
A study of ~160 deepfake pornography domains found at least 138 female MPs from 22 EU countries listed or depicted without consent. Only nine male MPs appeared. Women MPs are 33x more likely to be targeted, per researcher Benjamin Shultz of the American Sunlight Project and Agora Digitale Transformation.
Researcher Benjamin Shultz analyzed roughly 160 domains hosting deepfake abuse and nonconsensual sexual content, cross-referencing a database of more than 5,800 EU national parliamentarians compiled in July. He found at least 138 women MPs from 22 EU member states had appeared or been listed on these sites — against just nine male MPs. That asymmetry translates to women being 33 times more likely to be targeted. The findings were published by German digital democracy think tank Agora Digitale Transformation and shared exclusively with WIRED ahead of release.
The sites range in severity: some host explicit AI-generated video content using politicians' likenesses, while others maintain database-style entries pairing names and photos with links to deepfake creation tools. Politicians from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and France were most frequently represented, and seniority correlated with targeting frequency. Shultz individually notified all affected MPs and offered takedown guidance.
Dutch Progressive Netherlands MP Suzanne Kröger, herself a target, called the findings 'really deeply disturbing' and noted that millions of non-public women face the same abuse without platforms to speak out. Dutch Socialist Party MP Sarah Dobbe emphasized the dual function of this content: intimidation and belittlement. Researchers warn the trend creates chilling effects that discourage women from entering or remaining in public life, with lasting reputational damage beyond their political careers.