Deepfakes disproportionately target female EU politicians and deceive public

A study by the Agora Digitale Transformation think tank reveals that female parliamentarians in the European Union are significantly more likely to be targeted by sexualized deepfakes than their male colleagues. The investigation identified at least 138 female lawmakers across 22 of the 27 EU member states listed on relevant websites or in directories, compared to only nine men. Statistically, one in 14 female parliamentarians was affected, while only one in 500 men was targeted, making women 33 times more likely to be victims.

In Germany, a YouGov survey commissioned by the Eco association found that 55 percent of adults believe they are likely to be deceived by deepfakes or AI manipulations within the next five years. While 28 percent expect to be the subject of harmful AI content themselves, the fear of being deceived by fake information is nearly double that.

Following the implementation of the European AI Act in August 2026, providers are now required to label AI-generated or manipulated content in a machine-readable format. However, Eco emphasizes that labeling alone is insufficient and calls for increased media literacy, technical standards, and clearer legal frameworks to combat misuse.