In a recent court appearance, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni voiced her outrage over the creation and distribution of deepfake porn videos, labeling them as a serious form of violence against women.
This statement comes in the wake of her legal battle against two men accused of making fake explicit videos featuring her likeness.
Meloni’s strong stance underscores the growing issue of deepfakes in today’s digital landscape.
Demanding Justice
Appearing via video link from Rome, the 47-year-old leader expressed her determination to seek justice against the individuals responsible.
“I insist on demanding the punishment of those who are accountable because I find their actions intolerable,” Meloni stated, as reported by Italian news outlet Ansa.
The two accused, Alessio Scurosu, 40, and his father Roberto, 74, from Sardinia, allegedly produced a deepfake video featuring Meloni and shared it on various American porn websites.
Prosecutors revealed that this troubling footage, created in 2020, has garnered millions of views.
A Fight for Victims
Earlier this year, Meloni initiated a defamation lawsuit against the father-son duo, seeking €100,000 (approximately £84,000) in damages, which she intends to donate to a fund supporting female victims of domestic violence.
Her legal team emphasized that the Prime Minister’s motivation for pursuing this case is to empower women who experience such abuses of power, encouraging them not to shy away from reporting these incidents.
Concerns About AI Technology
During her court appearance, Meloni also raised alarm over the potential misuse of artificial intelligence in generating realistic images.
“With the advent of artificial intelligence, if we allow someone’s face to be placed on another’s body, our daughters could find themselves in these predicaments.
This is precisely why I believe it’s necessary to fight this battle,” she asserted.
Additionally, she called for stricter laws regarding deepfake technology, emphasizing the need for legal measures to protect individuals from such violations.
A Wider Issue
Meloni’s case is not an isolated incident; many public figures have fallen victim to similar deepfake exploitation.
Female celebrities, in particular, have faced this invasive trend since as early as 2018, when Natalie Portman was first targeted.
More recently, Scarlett Johansson became a victim of a deepfake advertisement for Lisa AI, and earlier this year, explicit deepfake images of singer Taylor Swift circulated on social media, achieving over 27 million views before being removed.
Emma Watson was also featured in a scandalous deepfake advertisement, highlighting the pervasive issue of manipulated media.
Collective Action Against Deepfakes
The controversy surrounding Meloni’s case coincides with a broader movement.
Earlier this year, over 400 AI experts, celebrities, politicians, and activists signed an open letter demanding stricter regulations on generative AI technologies that facilitate the creation of deepfakes.
Titled “Disrupting the Deepfake Supply Chain,” the letter argued that the rise of AI-generated content poses significant risks to society, encompassing threats like sexual exploitation, child pornography, fraud, and political misinformation.
It emphasized the urgency of enacting formal laws to safeguard the public’s ability to discern authentic human representations in an increasingly deceptive digital world.
What Lies Ahead?
As Meloni continues to advocate for justice and stricter regulations on deepfakes, the question remains: how will governments and lawmakers respond to the pressing need for comprehensive legislation in the age of AI?
The fight against this digital menace is far from over, and many are watching closely to see what changes will unfold in the coming months.
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