# MEP targeted by deepfakes as study reveals widespread AI sexual abuse against female politicians

> Austrian MEP Lena Schilling discovered AI-generated nude deepfakes of herself online, coinciding with a new report showing one in six female European Parliament members face similar targeting, despite an upcoming EU ban on 'nudifier' apps.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-18T04:25:37.930940Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/mep-targeted-by-deepfakes-as-study-reveals-widespread-ai-sexual-abuse-against-female-politicians-647c49a5

Austrian Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Lena Schilling learned last month that AI-generated nude deepfakes of herself were circulating online [1]. This revelation coincides with a new study indicating that one in six female MEPs have been targeted by such content, even as the European Union prepares to ban AI 'nudifier' apps starting December 2, 2026 [1][2][6][16].

This situation demonstrates the real-world impact of AI-generated non-consensual intimate imagery on public figures, particularly women, and highlights continuing challenges for the effectiveness and enforcement of new EU regulations designed to combat this form of online harm [1][6][15][17].

## What the records show
A study released in October 2026 by the Germany-based civil society group Agora Digitale Transformation found that 50 Members of the European Parliament have been targeted by deepfake pornography. This total includes 46 women and four men [6][7][8][9]. The research reviewed the names of all 720 MEPs against 200 websites known to host or facilitate AI non-consensual images [6][17]. The study concluded that approximately one in six female MEPs have been depicted in or associated with deepfake pornography [6][7][9][17]. Women lawmakers were estimated to be 33 times more likely to be affected by this content than their male counterparts [6][18]. The report from Agora Digitale Transformation calls “AI-generated non-consensual intimate imagery (AIG-NCII), colloquially known as deepfake pornography,” a “systemic threat to women in European politics” [15][17].

## The timeline
On May 7, 2026, the EU Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement to ban AI systems capable of generating non-consensual sexual deepfakes, specifically including those from “nudifier” apps [2][11][21][23]. This agreement formed part of a larger legislative package known as the Digital Omnibus on AI [2][10][22]. The ban on these AI systems is scheduled to take effect on December 2, 2026 [2][16]. Separately, the EU’s Directive on Combating Violence against Women (VAW Directive) criminalized non-consensual AI-generated deepfakes in 2024 [13]. MEP Lena Schilling, a member of the Green party, learned about the nude deepfakes of herself circulating online in September 2026 [1].

## What changed and for whom
The provisional agreement in May marked a legislative step by the EU against AI-generated non-consensual imagery [2][11]. However, the continued targeting of MEPs, as evidenced by Schilling’s experience and the Agora Digitale Transformation report, indicates that the problem persists despite these upcoming regulations and existing directives [1][6][13][17]. The findings show the disproportionate impact of this digital violence on women in politics, who are overwhelmingly represented among the victims [6][18].

## What the subject has said publicly
Lena Schilling spoke about her experience, stating she “felt disgusted” upon discovering the deepfakes [1]. She commented, “The violence is old. The method is new. The aim is to humiliate, intimidate and silence women” [15]. Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament, condemned the deepfakes. She said, “Violence against women, online or offline, is intolerable and deplorable,” and described the images as “disturbing” and an “attempt to target and prey upon elected politicians doing their duty” [15].

## What we could not confirm
Whether the deepfakes targeting MEP Schilling were created by a “nudifier app” specifically banned by the upcoming EU regulation could not be confirmed. The exact number of deepfake websites examined by Agora Digitale Transformation that specifically targeted MEPs could not be confirmed, although the report stated it used “200 websites known to host or facilitate AI non-consensual images” [6].

## Evidence cited
1. ‘I felt disgusted’: MEP speaks out over nude deepfakes and urges EU action (www.theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/18/mep-lena-schilling-nude-deepfakes-eu-action
2. MEP describes 'immense shock' after finding nude deepfakes of herself | Euronews (euronews.com) — https://euronews.com/
3. 147 MEPs Affected by Sexualized AI-Deepfakes. (ground.news) — https://ground.news/
4. EU Politicians Targeted by AI-Generated Sexualized Deepfakes - OECD.AI (oecd.ai) — https://oecd.ai/
5. Sexualisierte Bilder - Lena Schilling von KI-Deepfakes betroffen | krone.at (krone.at) — https://krone.at/
6. New research finds 50 MEPs caught in the sexualised AI deepfake, prompting 119 lawmakers to demand tougher enforcement and victim protection. (euperspectives.eu) — https://euperspectives.eu/
7. DEEPFAKE PORN TARGETS 1 IN 6 WOMEN IN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, REPORT REVEALS. (independentpress.cc) — https://independentpress.cc/
8. Study finds women overwhelmingly affected by AI-generated sexual imagery. (milletnews.com) — https://milletnews.com/
9. One in six female MEPs has fallen victim to pornographic deepfakes. (babel.ua) — https://babel.ua/
10. Youtube.com (youtube.com) — https://youtube.com/
11. EU strikes deal to ban sexualized AI deepfakes (courthousenews.com) — https://courthousenews.com/
12. EU takes important step against gender-based online violence: nonconsensual deepfakes and intimate images to be criminalised across Europe (hateaid.org) — https://hateaid.org/
13. The EU’s VAW Directive as a starting point to treat new AI-enabled forms of violence - European Policy Centre (epc.eu) — https://epc.eu/
14. Policy Paper – The Promise and Perils of AI for Gender-Based Violence in the EU (digitalfreedomfund.org) — https://digitalfreedomfund.org/
15. Deepfake porn targets scores of female MEPs, study reveals (eureporter.co) — https://eureporter.co/
16. One in six female MEPs in the EU victims of deepfake pornography - study (ua.news) — https://ua.news/
17. Agora Digitale Transformation (agoradigital.de) — https://agoradigital.de/
18. Deepfake sites host 138 women MPs from 22 European countries (aichatdaily.com) — https://aichatdaily.com/
19. Instagram.com (instagram.com) — https://instagram.com/
20. 147 EU parliamentarians, including 138 women, became victims of sexual deepfakes - cyberverso.net (cyberverso.net) — https://cyberverso.net/
21. EU strikes deal to ban sexualized AI deepfakes (lawsociety.ie) — https://lawsociety.ie/
22. EU Parliament Approves AI Ban on Nonconsensual Intimate Images (techpolicy.press) — https://techpolicy.press/
23. EU agrees to ban AI nudifier tools - Greens/EFA (greens-efa.eu) — https://greens-efa.eu/
24. Artificial intelligence: Parliament to vote on nudification ban (europa.eu) — https://europa.eu/
25. European Parliament approves amendments to the AI Act: focus on new deadlines and ban on nudifier apps (matheson.com) — https://matheson.com/