Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is pursuing 100,000 euros ($109,345) in compensation following the creation and dissemination of deepfake pornographic videos featuring her. Investigators allege that two individuals generated these videos by superimposing Ms. Meloni’s face onto someone else’s body and subsequently shared them online. A 40-year-old man and his 73-year-old father face defamation charges in connection with this incident.
Law enforcement authorities managed to trace the perpetrators by tracking the smartphone used to upload the videos. The deepfake video in question dates back to 2022, predating Ms. Meloni’s appointment as Prime Minister.
In Italy, certain defamation cases may constitute criminal offenses that could result in imprisonment. Ms. Meloni is scheduled to testify in court on July 2nd. The indictment asserts that the videos were uploaded to a pornographic website in the United States and garnered millions of views over several months.
Italy’s Prime Minister seeks damages in what her legal team describes as a “symbolic” gesture. They have announced that Ms. Meloni intends to donate the entire sum to “support women who have been victims of male violence.” Maria Giulia Marongiu, Ms. Meloni’s lawyer, believes that the demand for compensation will encourage women who have faced similar abuses of power to come forward without fear.
Deepfake technology, which utilizes artificial intelligence to manipulate or generate audiovisual content, has become increasingly prevalent. Originating in late 2017, the term “deepfake” gained prominence when a Reddit user established a platform for sharing pornographic videos created with face-swapping technology. Deepfakes employ deep learning, a type of AI, to produce convincing images or videos of fabricated events. Their realistic nature poses a significant threat to public trust and truthfulness. Deepfakes are exploited to spread misinformation, manipulate public opinion, and tarnish reputations by creating convincing audio and video recordings of individuals engaging in fictitious actions. This phenomenon has prompted widespread concern among world leaders due to its potential to undermine confidence and sow discord.