The MEP tells how she discovered deepfakes in which she appeared undressed: "I got sick" / 138 women parliamentarians in the EU have been targeted

Austrian MEP Lena Schilling learned about the existence of deepfake images in which she appeared undressed last month. These images were distributed on the internet and were found in one of her first press conferences, digitally modified to remove clothing. Schilling expressed feeling disgusted by the use of the image to cause harm and embarrassment. This situation is part of a larger issue where 138 women MEPs across 22 EU countries have been targeted by sexually explicit content generated using artificial intelligence. A research institute based in Berlin alerted Schilling to these images, suggesting deepfake pornography poses a systemic threat to women in European politics. Furthermore, the data indicates that women are significantly more likely than their male colleagues to appear in pornographic deepfake images or be associated with such material.

The narrative surrounding the exposure of these deepfakes reveals a critical intersection between technological capability, systemic gender inequality, and political vulnerability. The framing shifts from a singular personal incident to a collective structural threat, evidenced by the finding that this is a "systemic threat to women in European politics." This suggests that individual victimization can be effectively framed as evidence for broader systemic failure rather than isolated misconduct. The reluctance of other targeted MEPs to speak publicly highlights a chilling effect where fear of reprisal overrides the instinct for collective action; victims are simultaneously blamed, which impedes the formation of cohesive resistance. The call for law enforcement alongside technological bans suggests that addressing this requires not just technical regulation but also accountability mechanisms designed to counteract digital violence. The underlying pattern is how newly emerging technologies can be deployed not merely for deception, but as tools to enforce existing power imbalances against marginalized groups, creating a dynamic where the mechanism of harm feeds the narrative of systemic danger.