Giorgia Meloni Called to Testify in Deepfake Pornography Case

by Pooja Chauhan · 22/03/2024

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is set to testify in the trial of two individuals accused of creating and sharing deepfake pornographic images of her, seeking symbolic damages to support women victims of violence.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been summoned to provide testimony on July 2 in a legal case against two individuals charged with creating and disseminating deepfake pornographic content featuring her likeness online.

Giorgia Meloni Called to Testify in Deepfake Pornography Case

As a plaintiff claiming harm from the incident, Meloni is involved in the proceedings in Sassari, Sardinia, and is pursuing symbolic compensation of 100,000 euros ($108,212), planning to allocate any funds received to a government initiative aiding female survivors of domestic violence, according to her lawyer Maria Giulia Marongiu, who communicated this information to The Associated Press via email on Friday.

Marongiu described the alleged crime as “particularly vile,” citing the creation and sharing of artificial pornographic content that risks harm to any woman, potentially tarnishing her reputation and personal life.

Highlighting Meloni’s prominent public position, her legal representation deemed it appropriate for her to join the lawsuit as a civil party. This move aims to draw attention to the broader issue of women’s vulnerability to such exploitations, advocating for heightened awareness and protection.

Italy’s postal police, as reported by the ANSA news outlet, pinpointed a father-son duo in 2020 as the suspects behind the uploading of the deepfake materials to a U.S.-based adult website, tracking the activity back to their mobile device. At that juncture, Meloni led the Brothers of Italy party, prior to her tenure as prime minister.