Deepfake Abuse: A Rising Tide of Digital Violence Against Women

By [Your Name], International Editor

The whispers started online, then followed her into the real world. Comments, ridicule, shares, screenshots – a relentless barrage of abuse she never consented to. Within hours, millions had seen the manipulated images, and a nightmare began. This is not an isolated incident, but a chillingly common reality for women and girls globally, as artificial intelligence fuels a new wave of digital violence.

The proliferation of AI-generated deepfakes – manipulated images, audio, or videos convincingly portraying someone saying or doing something they never did – is rapidly escalating, leaving survivors traumatized and justice systems struggling to keep pace. While the technology itself isn’t new, its weaponization against women is a recent and alarming trend.

A 2023 report found that 98% of all deepfake videos online were pornographic, and a staggering 99% depicted women. The same report estimated a 550% increase in the prevalence of deepfake videos between 2019 and 2023. The ease with which these fakes can be created – tools are widely available, often free, and require minimal technical skill – is a key driver of the problem. Once posted, the content is virtually impossible to fully remove, endlessly replicated and shared across platforms.

The impact extends far beyond the digital realm. According to a recent UN Women survey, 41% of women in public life who experience online violence also report facing offline attacks or harassment linked to it. In some cultural contexts, deepfake abuse can even serve as a catalyst for so-called “honour-based crimes,” where perceived breaches of social norms can lead to extreme physical violence or death. Research in the United States indicates the devastating mental health toll, with more than half of deepfake victims contemplating suicide.

Why Aren’t More Perpetrators Held Accountable?

Underreporting is a significant barrier, but even when survivors do come forward, they often face further trauma. They are repeatedly asked to view and describe the abusive content to police, lawyers, and platform moderators, and may be met with skepticism. If a case reaches court, the survivor’s past and personal life are often scrutinized, rather than focusing on the perpetrator’s actions.

The legal landscape is also lagging. Less than half of countries have laws addressing online abuse, and even fewer specifically cover AI-generated deepfake content. Existing “revenge porn” or image-based abuse laws often contain loopholes, as they were written before deepfakes existed. Survivors are often unsure if the abuse is even illegal, or if perpetrators can be prosecuted.

Enforcement is also a major challenge. Investigators require specialized digital forensics expertise, cross-border coordination, and cooperation from tech platforms – resources that many justice systems lack. Evidence disappears quickly as content spreads, and perpetrators often hide behind anonymity or operate across jurisdictions.

Tech platforms themselves have historically shielded themselves from responsibility by claiming “intermediary” status, avoiding liability for user-generated content.

What Needs to Change

The scale of the problem demands urgent, coordinated action. UN Women has warned that this is not a niche internet problem, but a “global crisis.” Several jurisdictions are beginning to respond. Brazil amended its criminal code in 2025 to increase penalties for psychological violence against women using AI to alter their image or voice. The European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act imposes transparency obligations around deepfakes. The United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act prohibits sharing digitally manipulated explicit images, though its applicability to deepfake creation remains unclear. The United States’ Take It Down Act explicitly covers AI-generated intimate imagery, requiring platform removal within 48 hours.

However, more is needed. Five key steps are crucial:

1. Comprehensive Legislation: Governments must pass laws with clear definitions of AI-generated abuse, focusing on consent, strict liability for perpetrators, fast-track removal obligations for platforms, and cross-border enforcement protocols.
2. Equipped Justice Systems: Law enforcement needs training, resources, and dedicated capacity to collect and preserve digital evidence, while addressing digital forensics backlogs and establishing international cooperation frameworks.
3. Platform Accountability: Tech companies must be legally required to proactively monitor for and remove abusive content within mandatory timelines, cooperate with law enforcement, and face financial consequences for inaction.
4. Survivor Support: Trained, trauma-informed legal and law enforcement professionals, and free legal aid, must be readily available to survivors.
5. Preventative Education: Digital literacy, including consent education, online safety, and awareness of abuse resources, needs to be integrated into education systems and reach all demographics.

Daisy Dixon, a UK journalist, recently discovered AI-generated, sexualized images of herself on X (formerly Twitter) in December 2025, created using the platform’s own Grok AI tool. It took days for the platform to geoblock the function, while the abuse continued to spread, highlighting the urgent need for faster platform response.

The fight against deepfake abuse is a fight for the safety and dignity of women and girls in the digital age. It requires a collective commitment from governments, institutions, and tech platforms to prioritize prevention, accountability, and support for survivors.