An Austrian MEP has spoken out about being “stripped naked” online without her consent and urged the EU to take action, after a report found that one in six female MEPs had been targeted by sexualised AI-generated content. Lena Schilling of the Green party said she learned last month that nude deepfakes of herself were circulating online. When she opened the links, she found herself looking at images from one of her first press conferences—but the images had been digitally altered to remove her clothing.
It was a shocking twist on a defining moment of her career. “I felt disgusted,” she said. “I remember how nervous I was and how much I had prepared for the press conference. And then to see someone using this image in a way aimed at harming and humiliating me was really hard to grasp.”
Schilling is one of 50 MEPs—46 of them women—who have been targeted by sexualised deepfakes, according to a report by Agora Digitale Transformation (ADT). The Berlin-based thinktank, which alerted Schilling to the images online, said the finding showed how deepfake pornography had become a “systemic threat to women in European politics.”
An earlier ADT report found that 138 female parliamentarians from 22 EU countries had been affected, and that women were 33 times more likely than their male colleagues to be depicted in or associated with deepfake pornography.
Schilling described the images as a form of “digital violence against women,” adding to the already disproportionate amount of sexist abuse, harassment and violence that women in politics face. The result was a serious threat to democracy, she said: “These things make going into politics even harder than it is already. Just imagine what would happen to our society if more and more women disappear from public life.”
Schilling said she had spoken to some of the other female MEPs targeted, but they had expressed fears about coming forward. “But there’s nothing to be ashamed of. People misused your photos, you did nothing wrong,” she said. “And I think that’s the moment when you say: ‘OK, this has to stop.'”
The sentiment was captured in a recent letter to the EU initiated by Schilling and the German Green MEP Terry Reintke. Signed by 119 MEPs, it called on officials to ensure that a forthcoming ban on apps and websites that use AI to undress women, scheduled to take effect across the EU on 2 December, would be paired with mechanisms capable of enforcing the prohibition.
“A ban on paper protects no one until it is enforced,” the letter said, pointing to the widespread use of “nudifier” apps in which photos of women can be undressed with just one click.
“Its purpose is humiliation and control over women’s bodies, and its effect is to make public life more hostile for female politicians,” the letter said. “Every young woman considering a political career now must factor in that this could happen to her.”
Schilling said the aim was to push national authorities to close any loopholes or workarounds that would allow the apps to continue to function in the EU. “We were stripped naked without our consent,” she said. “This cannot become the new normal.”
She said the call for action was why she had decided to speak up, in the hope that sharing her story would convince member states to crack down on tech companies for which this sort of digital violence could be a viable business.”It’s quite simple,” she said. “Every woman who wants to run for office should be able to do so without fearing she’ll be undressed against her will.”
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs I Felt Disgusted MEP Speaks Out About Nude Deepfakes and Calls for EU Action
1 What happened with the MEP and the nude deepfakes
A Member of the European Parliament discovered that sexually explicit deepfake images of herself were circulating online She described feeling disgusted and publicly called on the EU to take stronger action against this kind of abuse
2 What is a deepfake
A deepfake is a fake image video or audio clip created with AI that makes it look or sound like a real person said or did something they never did
3 What is a nude deepfake
Its a digitally altered image or video that makes a real person appear naked or in a sexual situation without their consent The person never posed for it its generated or manipulated using AI
4 Why is this such a big deal
Its a form of imagebased sexual abuse It humiliates and harms the people targeted mostly women and can spread quickly and permanently online It also makes people afraid to be visible online
5 Is making a nude deepfake of someone illegal
It depends on the country Some EU countries already criminalize it but rules vary widely The MEP is pushing for clear consistent EUwide action so there are no gaps
6 What EU laws already apply
The EUs Digital Services Act requires platforms to act on illegal content and the AI Act includes transparency rules for deepfakes The MEP argues these arent enough and wants explicit rules targeting nonconsensual sexual deepfakes
7 What is the MEP actually asking the EU to do
She wants the EU to treat nonconsensual sexual deepfakes as a serious crime make platforms remove them quickly and give victims clear fast ways to get help and take the content down
8 Who is most often targeted
Women and girls are the vast majority of victims but anyone can be targeted including public figures journalists and private individuals
9 What should I do if I find a nude deepfake of myself online
Dont share it or engage with it Report it to the platform immediately save evidence and contact the police or a victimsupport organization in your country Many
