A Weapon Against Women in Politics: Reining in Nonconsensual Synthetic Intimate Imagery
Source: New America
Abstract
Nonconsensual synthetic intimate imagery (NSII)—content depicting an individual that is digitally altered to be sexual or nude without their consent—targeting women in politics is underreported and underresearched. This report examines how NSII is weaponized against public officials through an exploratory analysis of 100 documented cases across 14 countries between 2017 and 2025. The findings show that women comprise the vast majority of victims, spanning from presidential candidates to local commissioners, with attacks often strategically timed during critical pre-election moments. NSII inflicts individual trauma, including psychological damage, reputational harm, and significant legal and administrative burdens on candidates and public officials. Current legal and technical approaches are limited in countering NSII creation and distribution due to complexities in defining NSII and related technical concepts, enforcement gaps, and insufficient technical remedies for addressing the core harms of professional delegitimization and psychological damage. The report concludes with recommendations for civil society, governments, and technology companies to prevent NSII creation and limit its distribution, emphasizing that addressing this threat is essential not only to protect individual victims but also to preserve the integrity and inclusiveness of democratic institutions.
Full article here.
Abstract
Nonconsensual synthetic intimate imagery (NSII)—content depicting an individual that is digitally altered to be sexual or nude without their consent—targeting women in politics is underreported and underresearched. This report examines how NSII is weaponized against public officials through an exploratory analysis of 100 documented cases across 14 countries between 2017 and 2025. The findings show that women comprise the vast majority of victims, spanning from presidential candidates to local commissioners, with attacks often strategically timed during critical pre-election moments. NSII inflicts individual trauma, including psychological damage, reputational harm, and significant legal and administrative burdens on candidates and public officials. Current legal and technical approaches are limited in countering NSII creation and distribution due to complexities in defining NSII and related technical concepts, enforcement gaps, and insufficient technical remedies for addressing the core harms of professional delegitimization and psychological damage. The report concludes with recommendations for civil society, governments, and technology companies to prevent NSII creation and limit its distribution, emphasizing that addressing this threat is essential not only to protect individual victims but also to preserve the integrity and inclusiveness of democratic institutions.
Full article here.