Schilling discovered the digitally altered images after opening links, finding herself staring at altered photos from one of her first ever press conferences with her clothing removed. She described the images as a form of “digital violence against women,” adding that seeing an image used to harm and humiliate her was hard to grasp.
Schilling is one of 50 MEPs—46 of them women—targeted by sexualised deepfakes, according to ADT. 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.
In response, 119 MEPs signed a call urging officials to ensure that a forthcoming ban on apps and websites using AI to undress women, scheduled to take effect across the EU on 2 December, is paired with enforcement mechanisms capable of upholding the prohibition.