Young women in Pakistani politics are limiting their social media presence because of widespread image-based abuse

Reena Wazir, a student at the University of Punjab, was scrolling through social media one night when she came across a video which shocked her. At first, she thought it was real. The clip appeared to show scenes from a drama, but something about it felt wrong. She watched it again, only to realise that it was manipulated. Soon after, a discomforting thought started lingering in her mind that what would happen if this video was about her..

“I don’t understand what it [Gen AI] is capable of doing. When I see what happens to celebrities, [their deepfakes are circulating online] I think, if they can’t control it, how can I?” she remarked.. “These are actresses. Their families are educated. People know such things can happen to them. But what about us?”

Wazir hails from Waziristan and is actively involved in student politics. For her, the fear was not simply about having a fake video made using her image. It was about what would happen after it was created, especially in a society which is quick to judge a woman’s morality without asking if something is true or not. “If something like this is made using my picture, how will I explain it?” she said. “Even if my family understands, the wider community will not.”

Article.