AI-Generated Deepfakes Target Women Journalists in Global Surge of Digital Abuse
A rising wave of AI-generated deepfakes is targeting women, particularly journalists, with alarming consequences. In July 2025, Argentine journalist Julia Mengolini filed a criminal complaint against her country’s president, Javier Milei, for sharing a pornographic deepfake of her. The case highlights a broader issue as governments and experts scramble to address the spread of harmful synthetic media. Mengolini’s ordeal began when Milei allegedly amplified an online smear campaign against her, dedicating 93 tweets to the journalist in a single weekend. The deepfake, designed to humiliate and discredit, is part of a disturbing trend: research shows 74% of deepfake cases between 2023 and 2025 involved women, with their images manipulated into pornographic content.
Mengolini is not alone. She is one of 100 journalists from 27 countries who have faced deepfake attacks due to their work. Yet in Germany, no cases of sexualised deepfakes targeting female journalists have been reported to Reporters Without Borders since November 2023. The lack of legal clarity may be a factor—Germany currently has no specific criminal offence for deepfakes, though Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig has proposed a draft law to criminalise the creation of pornographic AI-generated content. The problem extends beyond national borders. The European Commission has launched an investigation into how easily sexualised deepfakes can be produced. Tools like Grok, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, have been criticised for generating explicit images of women in seconds, earning it the nickname 'porn generator.' France has already taken action, criminalising the non-consensual distribution of sexualised content in 2024, with penalties including up to two years in prison and fines. Psychologist Judith Strieder, from the organisation HateAid, warns of the severe impact on victims. Many fear not being believed and suffer long-term psychological trauma, along with professional and social damage.
The case against Milei underscores the urgent need for stronger legal protections. While some countries have introduced penalties, others, like Germany, are still drafting laws to combat the issue. For victims such as Mengolini, the fight for justice continues as technology outpaces regulation.
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