Italy PM Giorgia Meloni Seeks Over $100,000 In Damages Over Deepfake Pornographic Videos

Italy prime minister Giorgia Meloni is seeking 100,000 euros in damages after deepfake videos of her were created and circulated online, a report claimed.

Two men made pornographic videos of Giorgia Meloni by superimposing her face on another person’s body. These deepfake videos, which gained millions of views online, were then uploaded on the internet by the men- a 40-year-old man and his 73-year-old father- who are charged with defamation, BBC reported.

According to the police, they were able to locate them by tracking the smartphone that was used to upload the videos. The deepfake video in question dates back to 2022, before she was appointed as the country’s Prime Minister.

Meloni’s legal team has said that, if her request for damages is successful, she will donate the 100,000 euros to a fund to support women who have been victims of male violence. Maria Giulia Marongiu, Meloni’s lawyer, said the sum was “symbolic” and the demand for compensation was meant to “send a message to women who are victims of this kind of abuse of power not to be afraid to press charges.” BBC reported.

Deepfake videos

The rise of deepfake technology has also caused a stir in the entertainment industry, with actor Rashmika Mandanna becoming a victim of a disturbing incident last year. The deepfake video, which surfaced online, featured Mandanna’s face morphed onto the body of British-Indian influencer Zara Patel.

Mandanna, in a post on X, expressed her distress over the malicious use of technology, emphasizing the fear and vulnerability it instills not only in celebrities like herself but also in the general public. “I feel really hurt to share this and have to talk about the deepfake video of me being spread online. Something like this is honestly, extremely scary not only for me, but also for each one of us who today is vulnerable to so much harm because of how technology is being misused,” Mandanna wrote in a post on X last year.