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Sexual abuse

Deepfakes Must Face Serious Consequences, Says Victim

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Cara Hunter, a victim of online sexual abuse and MLA, has highlighted the devastating impact of deepfakes on individuals, particularly women, and has called for serious consequences for those involved in creating and sharing these fake images. Ms. Hunter's experience began when an AI-generated pornographic video depicting her was shared thousands of times on WhatsApp ahead of the 2022 Stormont election, resulting in numerous unsolicited messages and online abuse. Despite a legislative gap and the encrypted nature of WhatsApp, the perpetrator was never identified. Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long has announced plans to criminalise explicit deepfakes, and a public consultation is underway to consider the sentences that should be available to judges.

Key Takeaways:

  • Cara Hunter's AI-generated pornographic video was shared thousands of times on WhatsApp, leading to online abuse and harassment.
  • Due to a legislative gap and the encrypted nature of WhatsApp, the perpetrator was never identified or brought to justice.
  • Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long plans to criminalise explicit deepfakes and has announced a public consultation to consider the sentences that should be available to judges.
  • Deepfakes can have devastating consequences for victims, including feeling embarrassed, humiliated, violated, and unsafe; anxiety; post-traumatic stress disorder; and even suicidal thoughts.
  • Victims often have to deal with images being shared widely online, impacting their daily life, jobs, and relationships.
  • The SDLP's Cara Hunter is lobbying for changes to the law and raising awareness about the problem, and the party will continue to work with stakeholders and campaigners to protect victims and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice.
  • The consultation will focus on creating and sharing sexually explicit deepfake images, with consideration of the sentences that should be available to judges.

Statistics:

  • Thousands of images of Cara Hunter's deepfake video were shared on WhatsApp ahead of the 2022 Stormont election.
  • Overwhelmingly, victims of deepfakes are women, who suffer from anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental health issues as a result of the abuse.
  • The current legislative gap and encrypted nature of platforms like WhatsApp make it difficult to identify and prosecute perpetrators of deepfakes.

Sources:

  • Stormont MLA Cara Hunter, BBC News
  • Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long, BBC News
  • Channel 4 documentary featuring Cara Hunter and Vicky Pattison.

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