Full Breakdown
Austrian MEP Lena Schilling Calls for EU Action Against AI-Generated Nude Deepfakes
By Drooid · · How we work
The Incident: Nude Deepfakes of Lena Schilling
Lena Schilling, a Green-party Member of the European Parliament from Austria, discovered in late October that AI-generated images had removed her clothing from photographs of her first press conference. She described opening the links as “disgusting” and said the manipulation was intended to humiliate her.
Scope of the Problem
A report by the Berlin-based think-tank Agora Digitale Transformation (ADT) found that one in six female MEPs had been targeted by sexualised deepfakes, with 138 women from 22 EU countries affected. Women were 33 times more likely than male colleagues to appear in or be linked to such pornographic AI content.
Letter to the EU and Upcoming Ban
Schilling, together with German Green MEP Terry Reintke, helped draft a letter signed by 119 MEPs urging EU officials to pair the forthcoming ban on “nudifier” apps with robust enforcement mechanisms. The ban, scheduled to take effect across the EU on 2 December, will prohibit apps and websites that use AI to undress women. The letter warned that without enforcement, the ban “protects no one.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “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.” — Lena Schilling
- “Every young woman considering a political career now must factor in that this could happen to her.” — Lena Schilling
What’s Next
Schilling’s appeal seeks to compel national authorities to close loopholes that could allow the prohibited apps to operate. She argues that preventing “digital violence against women” is essential for women to consider political careers without fearing non-consensual undressing. The EU’s December 2 deadline marks the first legislative step, but its impact will depend on the enforcement measures that follow.