An Austrian Member of the European Parliament (MEP) has publicly shared her experience of having AI-generated nude deepfake images of herself circulated online without consent, calling for stronger EU measures to combat sexualised digital content targeting women in politics. Lena Schilling, a member of the Green party, revealed that she discovered the altered images last month. The photographs were based on one of her earliest press conferences but were manipulated to depict her without clothing.

Schilling described the incident as a distressing violation, noting the personal significance of the original event and the added humiliation caused by the manipulated images. “I felt disgusted,” she said, recalling the preparation and nerves she had experienced at the time of the press conference. She emphasized that the images were created with the intent to harm and humiliate her.

According to a report by Agora Digitale Transformation (ADT), a Berlin-based think tank, Schilling is among 50 MEPs—46 of whom are women—targeted by sexualised deepfakes. The ADT findings highlight a broader trend in which female politicians are disproportionately affected, with women being 33 times more likely than their male counterparts to be depicted in or linked to deepfake pornography. An earlier ADT study indicated that 138 female parliamentarians from 22 EU countries have also been targeted.

Schilling termed these deepfake images a form of “digital violence against women” that compounds the existing levels of sexist abuse, harassment, and violence faced by women in politics. She warned that such attacks could deter women from public life, posing a threat to democratic participation. “Imagine what would happen to our society if more and more women disappear from public life,” she said.

While some targeted MEPs have feared coming forward, Schilling encouraged others not to feel shame, stressing that victims are not responsible for the misuse of their images. Her advocacy contributed to a letter led by herself and German Green MEP Terry Reintke, signed by 119 MEPs, urging EU officials to ensure that an upcoming ban on AI-driven apps and websites that create non-consensual nude images takes effect with enforceable measures. The ban is scheduled to come into force across the EU on 2 December.

The letter highlighted the widespread use of “nudifier” apps, which allow users to digitally undress photos of women with a single click. Signatories stressed that legislation without enforcement mechanisms offers little protection, underscoring the need for national authorities to close potential loopholes and prevent continued misuse of such technology.

Schilling described the ordeal as a wake-up call to tackle the exploitation of digital tools for harassment, asserting that no woman should have to fear being digitally undressed against her will if she chooses to pursue a political career. “This cannot become the new normal,” she said, calling on member states to hold technology companies accountable for such digital violence.