Austrian MEP speaks out: felt disgusted by nude deepfakes and urges EU action
Images from a career milestone
Schilling said she learned last month that nude deepfakes of her were circulating online. The images used photographs from one of her first press conferences, digitally changed to show her without clothes.
She recalled preparing carefully for the event and said seeing the altered pictures was deeply upsetting. “I felt disgusted,” Schilling said, describing the images as intended to humiliate and harm her.
A wider political problem
A report from Berlin-based thinktank Agora Digitale Transformation counted 50 MEPs targeted by sexualised deepfakes; 46 were women. The organisation said the findings highlighted a systemic threat to women in European politics.
An earlier ADT report said 138 female parliamentarians across 22 EU countries had been affected. It also found women were 33 times more likely than male colleagues to be shown in or linked to deepfake pornography.
Calls for enforceable rules
Schilling described the images as digital violence, adding to sexist abuse and harassment faced by women in politics. She warned that such attacks could make public life more difficult for women and said some targeted MEPs feared speaking publicly.
Key points
- Schilling said nude deepfakes used altered images from one of her first press conferences.
- ADT reported that 50 MEPs, including 46 women, had been targeted by sexualised deepfakes.
- An earlier ADT report found 138 female parliamentarians across 22 EU countries had been affected.
- A letter signed by 119 MEPs called for enforcement alongside an EU ban scheduled for 2 December.