Cara Hunter, Ireland’s assembly member, recently disclosed that the person behind a deepfake video targeting her has yet to be identified. The video, which emerged almost three years ago, is a digitally manipulated version of her face pasted onto another person’s face. Such a video went viral on WhatsApp and social media just before the elections in Stormont this year 2022.
A deepfake is a manipulated video or image in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) replaces one person’s face with another, and it can do so with shocking accuracy. In the case of Hunter, manipulated images and videos can be pretty convincing and destructive.
Hunter’s case has brought to light the dangers of deepfakes, especially the growing prevalence of such technology, which can be used maliciously. Despite the attack on her image, Hunter still does not know who created the deepfake video.
Hunter’s Campaign for Legal Action
Since the video went viral, Cara Hunter has been campaigning for a change in the law in Northern Ireland to criminalize the production of deepfakes. Speaking on BBC Radio Foyle’s North West Today program, Hunter said that although the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) was “very sympathetic,” there was no specific legislation and investment in cybercrime technology to pursue the matter further.
“What’s very sad is that we’re now almost three years on from what happened to me and, right now, the same thing could happen again – to any woman, to any child, to any man,” said Hunter. She noted that deepfakes present a “real sinister use of this technology,” and expressed the need for accountability in these cases.
Lack of Cybercrime Resources in Northern Ireland
Hunter further indicated that Northern Ireland is actually behind other nations in addressing deepfake crimes. She gave an example of Germany’s AI centers, which, on the one hand, innovate AI and, on the other hand, provide guidance and support for victims of deepfake technology.
“We don’t have anything like that here,” she said, adding that countries like Germany are “far further ahead” in providing both legal and emotional support for victims. Hunter also called on the Department of Justice (DoJ) to allocate more resources to tackle cybercrime effectively.
The Lasting Impact on Mental Health
The experience of being targeted by a deepfake video is traumatizing, and so far, it has affected Hunter’s mental health. She has described the ordeal as “the most horrific and stressful time of my entire life” and emphasized that it still impacts her well-being, even three years later.
As part of the continuous efforts of the brand ambassador to raise her awareness, Hunter will feature in a Channel 4 documentary about deepfakes. She features with TV presenter Vicky Pattison on the documentary which is produced and directed by her. The documentary hosts a deepfake video featuring her, as part of research on the dangerous technology.
The Need for Stinging Cybercrime Laws
Hunter’s experience has brought attention to the dire need to toughen laws that guard individuals against malicious digital hacking, among them, deepfakes. She has urged Northern Ireland to adopt a sturdier legal system dealing with rampant cybercrimes and manipulation in the digital space.
The Department of Justice has been approached for a comment about Hunter’s plea for more resources on cybercrime, but no response was made.
