Sexually Explicit Deepfake Sites Target 100-Plus Politicians in Europe | WIREDSkip to main contentMenuWIREDSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuWIREDAccountAccountNewslettersSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoLivestreamsWIRED StoreSearchSearchMatt BurgessSecuritySep 14, 2026 7:00 AMSexually Explicit Deepfake Sites Target 100-Plus Politicians in EuropeAn analysis of 160 deepfake websites reveals politicians in 22 countries appear on them. Nearly all of them are women.Photo-Illustration: Wired Staff; Getty ImagesCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyAlmost 150 politicians across Europe have been included on harmful deepfake pornography websites over the last few years, according to new research seen by WIRED. Some of the politicians, who are overwhelmingly women, have had their likeness included in explicit videos, while others have names and photos listed in disturbing database-like entries that can link to deepfake creation tools.Analysis of around 160 domains that host deepfake abuse and other nonconsensual sexual content, by researcher Benjamin Shultz, has found that at least 138 women members of parliament (MPs) from 22 European Union countries have appeared or been mentioned on the sites. In contrast, only nine male MPs were referenced in any way. By Shultz’s calculations, it is 33 times more likely for women MPs to be targeted by deepfake ecosystems.“Deepfake porn is part of a much bigger trend of online hate and intimidation against women and female politicians,” says Suzanne Kröger, a Dutch member of parliament with the Progressive Netherlands group, who was impacted. Kröger, who expressed anger at what the research uncovered, says the findings are “really deeply disturbing” and help to reveal the scale of abuse. “We are politicians, we have a platform and speak out,” Kröger says. “But meanwhile, there are millions of women victims of these criminal acts.”The research, which has been published by German digital democracy think tank Agora Digitale Transformation, focuses on national members of parliament from all 27 countries in the European Union. Shultz, a fellow at Agora and the lead researcher at the American Sunlight Project, compiled the details of more than 5,800 members of parliaments across Europe in July and then used custom search engines to find where they appeared across the deepfake websites. (The research does not include members of the European Parliament).Politicians from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and France appeared on the websites the most, according to the findings, and the more senior a politician is, the more likely they were to be targeted. Shultz alerted all of the MPs individually and provided guidance on how the content may be removed. The websites also include depictions of celebrities, journalists, and other public figures, he says. WIRED is not naming the websites in order to not drive further attention to the abusive images.Multiple researchers and lawmakers say that while politicians have been targeted with deepfakes for years, it can damage democratic practices and create chilling effects that may stop women and girls from becoming public figures. “This discourages women from taking office in the first place and also crowds these women out of public life,” Shultz says. “There’s so much evidence to support that this does real psychological damage. This also does reputational damage for the future if they want to fade out of politics and have another career.”“Deepfake videos are used to intimidate politicians but also to belittle women,” says Sarah Dobbe, a Dutch Socialist Party MP, who was impacted. “It is very important that if a woman or girl is victimized in this way, she can get direct support if needed, and that the content is removed quickly.”Across the sites he monitored, Shultz categorized multiple categories of abusive content or behavior. His results include instances where MPs appeared in content that was actively being hosted by the sites, indexed results where content had been removed, and also a number of profiles and “gateways” where potentially new content could be created.Multiple websites hosted pages that include the names of MPs, official photos, and in some cases their social media profiles or personal information. Some included sections “rating” the women’s bodies, Shultz’s report says. Often next to these MP biographies were links to so-called nudifier apps or the websites’ own tools that claimed to digitally undress people. “It has all the images, all the information, and a direct link to the tool, and in three clicks you can generate,” Shultz says. “That’s just as bad as actually hosting the content.”Since AI-created deepfakes first emerged at the end of 2017, the underlying technology to produce them has become much more accessible, and the output of the tools has become more realistic. Over time, millions of nonconsensual AI images and videos have been created, mostly by men and boys, and are often used to harass, intimidate, or blackmail women and girls, including at almost 100 schools around the world.“These platforms are designed to run like businesses,” says Henry Ajder, an AI adviser and deepfake expert who has been tracking the ecosystem since 2018. He says that while it is not surprising that politicians are being targeted in this way, the findings are helpful for officials in Europe to understand the severity of the issue. “The whole infrastructure is set up to do this at scale with ease,” he says.In general, lawmakers have been slow to introduce legislation to tackle the growing array of harms caused by deepfakes. However, in recent months, some laws have started to be introduced. Both the UK and EU are planning bans on nudify services, while under the US Take It Down Act, at least two major deepfake websites publishing thousands of images and videos of celebrities have been taken offline. Reporting by journalists unmasking those behind the websites has also led to major sites being taken offline. Ahead of this story being published, WIRED found that at least half a dozen of the domains that appear in the research have recently been removed from the web—reducing the total number of depictions of the European MPs.Shultz, who is also researching the number of depictions of UK and US politicians, previously analyzed how many US senators and members of Congress appeared on deepfake sites in 2024. After the websites were taken down, Shultz says, there has been a “significant decrease” in the number of depictions of those American politicians that appeared on the websites two years ago.“It’s a priority to ensure that these images are taken down, but that also there’s strong regulation on this type of technology,” says Kröger.CommentsBack to topJoin the discussionCommentsBack to topTriangleYou Might Also LikeIn your inbox: WIRED's most ambitious, future-defining storiesAI slop backlash is actually having an impactBig Story: The cop who took on FlockThe rise of the 1am job interviewWatch: I stole a car by hacking this hidden deviceMatt Burgess is a senior writer at WIRED focused on information security, privacy, and data regulation in Europe. He graduated from the University of Sheffield with a degree in journalism and now lives in London. Send tips to [email protected]. ... 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An analysis of approximately 160 deepfake websites reveals that politicians across twenty-two European Union countries have been targeted, with the vast majority of the likenesses involved being women. Researcher Benjamin Shultz analyzed these domains to find instances where members of parliament appeared or were mentioned, noting that only nine male MPs were referenced in the findings, which suggests a threefold greater likelihood of targeting for women MPs within these deepfake ecosystems. This research, conducted by Shultz, involved compiling data from over 5,800 members of parliament across Europe, excluding members of the European Parliament, to trace their presence on these sites. The findings indicated that politicians from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and France were the most frequently targeted, and the more senior the politician, the higher the probability of inclusion.

The research further detailed the nature of the harmful content hosted on these websites. These platforms frequently included official photos, names, and sometimes social media profiles or personal information of MPs. Some of these pages even contained sections rating the women’s bodies. Crucially, these sites often provided direct links to "nudifier apps" or proprietary tools that claimed the ability to digitally undress individuals, effectively linking the images and personal information directly to content generation capabilities. Shultz observed that having access to the images, associated information, and links to these tools meant that content generation could be achieved in just three clicks, posing a danger equivalent to outright hosting the explicit content itself.

Suzanne Kröger, a Dutch Member of Parliament impacted by the research, emphasized that deepfake pornography is symptomatic of a broader trend of online hate and intimidation directed against women and female politicians, labeling the findings deeply disturbing. She highlighted the systemic issue, noting that while politicians possess platforms to speak out, women victims of these criminal acts face millions of repercussions. The research, conducted by the German digital democracy think tank Agora Digitale Transformation, focuses on national members of parliament within the European Union.

The implications of this targeting extend beyond simple exposure, as multiple researchers and lawmakers argue that this practice damages democratic processes and creates chilling effects that discourage women and girls from entering public life. Shultz posits that this activity inflicts significant psychological and reputational damage, impacting not only the victims but also their potential future careers. Sarah Dobbe, a Dutch Socialist Party MP, concurred, stating that deepfake videos are used to intimidate politicians and belittle women, stressing the critical need for immediate content removal and direct support for victims.

The infrastructure supporting this abuse operates like a business, as noted by AI adviser and deepfake expert Henry Ajder, who tracked the ecosystem since 2018. Ajder observed that the entire infrastructure is designed to execute such actions at scale with ease. Since the emergence of accessible deepfake technology in late 2017, the tools have become more sophisticated, leading to the creation of millions of nonconsensual AI images and videos, primarily targeting women and girls for harassment, intimidation, or blackmail globally.

Although lawmakers have been slow in establishing legislation to address these harms, recent movements are underway. Both the United Kingdom and the European Union are planning bans on nudify services. Furthermore, actions have been taken against the platforms themselves, with certain major deepfake websites being taken offline following reporting by journalists and legal actions, demonstrating a push toward regulating this technology. Shultz noted that the removal of content from the web has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of depictions of American politicians that appeared on these sites, underscoring the potential for regulation to have tangible effects. The ongoing challenge remains balancing the urgent need to remove harmful content with the necessity of establishing robust regulation for this rapidly evolving technology.