Associated Incidents
Reality TV star Vicky Pattison has met an SDLP MLA who fell victim to a deepfake porn image as part of a new Channel 4 documentary which will see the queen of the jungle release her own AI-generated sex tape on social media.
The programme, exploring the issue of image-based abuse and its effect on women and girls, features the 37-year-old, known for her role in MTV's Geordie Shore, as she directs, produces and distributes an explicit video before using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to superimpose her face onto the actor portraying her likeness.
It sees the 2015 I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here winner talk to Cara Hunter who was herself a victim of image-based abuse in 2022 when an X-rated clip was shared thousands of times on WhatsApp with false claims that she appeared in it.
"I am hugely passionate about women's issues and have found myself increasingly disturbed by how prevalent the problem of deepfake porn is becoming," Ms Pattison said.
"This is just the latest trend in the abuse of women and having met some of the inspirational women who have put their lives back together after being victims of sexually-explicit deepfake abuse, I feel more strongly than ever that we need to stand with these women and continue to put pressure on the greater powers within the Government to catch up with the speed at which this technology is advancing.
"As part of the documentary, I have made the challenging decision to release my own deepfake sex tape online, which I directed and produced with actors to ensure the process was fully consensual from start to finish.
"I wrestled with this decision for a long time, mulling over the permanence of it, and ultimately coming to accept the fact this content may live online forever.
"Whilst I know this doesn't compare to the distress and horror actual victims feel when they discover this content of themselves, I hope it will give some insight into what they go through."
The celebrity's bid to learn more about how the content spreads online and the processes involved in trying to get it taken down comes as ministers seek to criminalise the practice in the UK.
Ms Hunter has previously opened up about being harassed online and delivered a TedTalk last October outlining the devastating impact of the "nightmare" which almost ruined her career just weeks before an election.
The fearless presentation exploring AI's potential to undermine truth and democracy has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times online. "Sadly, these things live forever and the rumours that come with them live forever as well," she previously told the Belfast Telegraph.
"Thankfully, most people know that it isn't me, which is really comforting.
"But of course there are those awkward moments still to this day where somebody will mention it and think it's a leak.
"It's not empowering at all to feel that these falsehoods and fake videos linger on, even though this happened almost three years ago now.
"This was a political attack out of left field, I could never have foreseen this.
"It was extremely difficult, it still lingers on with people thinking it's you and that embodies how damaging deepfakes are. It is taking an online lie and it's actually impacting your real life and can cause you harm." The East Londonderry representative said she believed it was used as a "chauvinistic digital weapon" aimed at inflicting reputational damage and derailing her electoral ambitions.
The circulation of the fake clip prompted unsolicited messages from men on social media, but the legislative gap and the encrypted nature of WhatsApp meant no one was ever held accountable following what Ms Hunter described as a "traceless crime".
The politician, who also been targeted by an individual who sent deepfake images of her in lingerie on Instagram, has been warning that the "terrifying" issue is becoming widespread as she passionately advocates for a comprehensive image-based abuse law to protect women and girls.
It is illegal in the UK to share fake porn without consent, however the current legislation does not govern the creation of such content.
Ms Hunter also claimed that while the PSNI was "earnest" in probing her case, the force lacked the cyber crime expertise and technology as she lamented the fact that there is a lack of support for victims, as such incidents are not defined as "revenge porn" on account of not being real.
The documentary also features Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman who was also a victim of deepfake porn.
The 50-year-old journalist became her own "case study" in an investigation that found at least 250 British celebrities have been victims of deepfakes.
Pattison also speaks to female victims who are not in the public eye.