{"meta":{"exportedAt":"2026-09-30T08:21:15.461Z","formatVersion":2,"selection":{"q":"politician","system":"","harm":"","context":"","country":"","role":"","relation":"core","evidence":"","year":"2026","response":"","severity":"","verification":"","view":"incidents","sort":"added"},"totalIncidents":3,"coverage":{"cases":3,"countries":2,"languages":3,"unknownLocation":1,"locationPending":0,"unknownLanguage":0,"unknownDate":0,"lawsuits":0,"regulatory":1,"minors":0,"coreRelations":3,"contextualRelations":0,"mixedRelations":0,"unknownRelations":0,"relationPending":0,"relationUnknown":0},"countingNote":"Distinct public cases in this selection. People counts apply within individual cases only; cross-case person overlap has not been resolved. No population incidence estimate.","affectedCountNote":"Interpret person counts with affectedCountStatus and the reported effects. Unquantified zeros are placeholders, not a measured zero.","source":"AI incidents","publisher":"NOPE","url":"https://nope.net/incidents","license":"CC BY 4.0"},"incidents":[{"id":"2026-austria-lena-schilling-sexualised-deepfake-websites","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Vor zwei Wochen wurde die EU-Abgeordnete der Grünen darüber informiert, dass derartige Webseiten mit sexualisierten Inhalten von ihr existieren.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Von Schilling wurden rund ein Dutzend Webseiten mit sexualisierten Deepfakes gefunden.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Schilling wurde im Rahmen einer Untersuchung der Berliner Denkfabrik Agora – Digitale Transformation auf die Inhalte hingewiesen.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Auf Deepfake-Websites sind 147 EU-Abgeordnete identifiziert worden, darunter auch die österreichische Politikerin Lena Schilling (Grüne).'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"In mid-September 2026 Schilling was informed, in the course of an Agora Digitale Transformation survey, that websites with AI-generated nude images of her existed; about a dozen websites showed such sexualised deepfakes or linked to them.","causal_attribution":"Her account in the interview and the Greens statement; the study's second wave that found her sites is unpublished."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Die EU-Abgeordnete und ihr Team haben die Fälle dokumentiert, gemeldet und bei der österreichischen Polizei angezeigt.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'\"Wir haben Anzeige erstattet, die Fälle bei Zara, der Stelle gegen Hass und Gewalt im Netz, gemeldet, den Webseiten direkt geschrieben und die Seiten bei den Suchmaschinen gemeldet.\" Bis alle Seiten offline wurden, dauerte es etwa zehn Tage, erzählt Schilling.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Schilling hat Anzeige erstattet und ihren Fall öffentlich gemacht.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"She and her team documented the cases, filed a complaint with the Austrian police, reported them to ZARA, wrote to the websites and reported the pages to search engines; it took about ten days until all sites were offline.","causal_attribution":"Her account; no police or platform confirmation is reported."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Lena Schilling wurde übel, als sie erstmals KI-generierte Nacktfotos von sich im Internet sah, erzählt sie im Interview.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'\"Fotos von mir wurden auf KI-Plattformen verwendet, um mich gegen meinen Willen auszuziehen\", erklärt Schilling im Gespräch mit dem STANDARD und den Salzburger Nachrichten.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'„Man hat uns gegen unseren Willen ausgezogen. KI verstärkt Gewalt gegen Frauen, und deshalb braucht es politische Entscheidungen, die uns schützen. Das kann nicht die neue Normalität werden“, sagte die EU-Abgeordnete Lena Schilling, die eine der Betroffenen ist.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'Ihre eigene Betroffenheit mache sie wütend - \"für mich, aber auch für jede junge Frau, die sich fragt, ob sie überhaupt in die Politik gehen will\".'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"She says she felt sick when she first saw the images and then angry, and that photos of her were used on AI platforms to undress her against her will.","causal_attribution":"Her own statements in the interview and via the Greens statement; both originate with her."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Shultz fand Deepfakes von neun Politikern und 138 Politikerinnen aus 22 Ländern der EU.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Die zweite Untersuchungswelle – in der Webseiten von Schilling gefunden wurden – dauert noch an; Ergebnisse werden in etwa vier Wochen veröffentlicht.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'In einer Aussendung der Grünen sagt Schilling, sie sei „eine von 138 betroffenen weiblichen Abgeordneten“. Das passt nicht ganz. Die veröffentlichte Studie hat nur Abgeordnete der nationalen Parlamente untersucht, das EU-Parlament war nicht dabei.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'Die Studie der Agora Digitale Transformation hat 138 weibliche und neun männliche EU-Abgeordnete auf Deepfake-Websites identifiziert.'","relation":"context","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The Agora study's first wave found sexualised deepfakes of 138 female and nine male national parliamentarians from 22 EU countries; Schilling's case comes from a second, ongoing wave covering the European Parliament, so the Greens' description of her as one of the 138 does not fit.","causal_attribution":"Context on the study; the Krone/APA text describes the 147 as EU-Abgeordnete, which Der Standard and Mimikama attribute to national parliaments."}],"effects":[{"label":"AI-generated sexualised nude images of her shown on or linked from about a dozen websites; nausea and anger; police complaint and ten days of takedown work","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000341593/sexualisierte-ki-deepfakes-von-138-politikerinnen-gefunden-auch-lena-schilling-betroffen","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"de","translation_note":"Read live in German on 2026-09-30 (Der Standard, 28 September 2026, Gustav Andree; interview conducted jointly with the Salzburger Nachrichten). The plain fetch returned a consent wall with the lede only; the full article was retrieved with a consent cookie (bodies/eu-derstandard-at-story-3000000341593-cookie.html). Researcher translation.","independence_group":"standard-sn-interview"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.krone.at/4313297","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"de","translation_note":"Read live in German on 2026-09-30 (Kronen Zeitung, published 28 September 2026 21:54, updated 29 September); APA-style report of the Greens/EFA statement and Schilling's quotes. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"apa-greens-statement"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.sn.at/politik/weltpolitik/147-abgeordnete-in-eu-opfer-von-sexualisierten-ki-deepfakes-art-675436","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"de","translation_note":"Read live in German on 2026-09-30 (Salzburger Nachrichten, 28 September 2026); same APA report of the Greens statement. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"apa-greens-statement"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.mimikama.org/lena-schilling-deepfakes/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"de","translation_note":"Read live in German on 2026-09-30 (Mimikama, 29 September 2026); a fact-check write-up relaying Der Standard's interview and the Agora study, cited for its note on the study's scope. Researcher translation.","independence_group":"standard-sn-interview"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.kleinezeitung.at/artikel/41307263/147-abgeordnete-in-eu-opfer-von-sexualisierten-ki-deepfakes","kind":"news_report","access":"unavailable","language":"de","translation_note":"Not read beyond the lede: the page is paywalled (788 characters retrieved live on 2026-09-30).","independence_group":"apa-greens-statement"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["privacy","work"],"unknowns":["Which websites and which AI tools were involved, where they were operated and who created the images.","When the images were first created or posted; only the date she was informed (about two weeks before 28 September 2026) is given.","Whether the police opened an investigation after her complaint.","Whether the EU-Abgeordnete count in the Krone/APA text (147 'EU-Abgeordnete') refers to national parliamentarians, as Der Standard and Mimikama state."],"geography":{"basis":"Schilling is described as the Austrian Green MEP (Krone: 'die österreichische Politikerin Lena Schilling') and filed her complaint with the Austrian police (Der Standard); where the websites were operated is not stated for her case (the study author says most such sites are registered in America, a general remark), so no event country is recorded. No court is involved.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":[],"affected_person_countries":["AT"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a core case: AI-generated sexualised images depicted a public figure who describes the harm in her own words (nausea, anger, a police complaint and ten days of takedown work). She is an MEP speaking publicly about her own case and is named as all sources do. One underlying account (hers), given in a joint newspaper interview and in a party statement relayed by APA; the images were not inspected and no tool or site is identified.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-30"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"Schilling states that photos of her were used on AI platforms to undress her against her will ('Fotos von mir wurden auf KI-Plattformen verwendet, um mich gegen meinen Willen auszuziehen', Der Standard) and the sites were identified by the Agora Digitale Transformation survey of AI-generated sexualised deepfakes of parliamentarians; the study author describes 'gateway' sites linking to nudifier tools. The images were not inspected by the researcher and no tool or site is named. The AI depicted her (depicted_or_impersonated).","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Austria: MEP Lena Schilling learns that about a dozen websites show or link to AI-generated sexualised images of her, files a police complaint and gets the sites taken offline after about ten days","summary":"Der Standard reported on 28 September 2026, from an interview with Lena Schilling (Green MEP, Austria) conducted with the Salzburger Nachrichten, that about two weeks earlier she had been informed, through an ongoing survey by the Berlin think tank Agora Digitale Transformation, that websites with AI-generated nude images of her existed; about a dozen websites showed such deepfakes or linked to them. She says photos of her were used on AI platforms to undress her against her will, that she felt sick on first seeing the images and then angry, and that she and her team documented the cases, filed a complaint with the Austrian police, reported them to the anti-hate body ZARA, wrote to the websites and reported them to search engines; all sites were offline after about ten days. Through a Greens statement relayed by APA (Krone, Salzburger Nachrichten) she said 'Man hat uns gegen unseren Willen ausgezogen' and called for political decisions to protect women. Her case belongs to a second, still ongoing wave of the Agora study, whose first wave found sexualised deepfakes of 138 female and nine male national parliamentarians in 22 EU countries.","incidentDate":"2026-09-01","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"month","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-28","aiSystem":"AI image tools ('KI-Plattformen' in Schilling's words to Der Standard; the study author describes the surveyed gateway sites in general as linking to a 'Nudifier-Tool') used by unknown operators to generate sexualised nude images of the MEP from her photos, shown on or linked from about a dozen websites; the tools and sites are not identified","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"medium","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"AI-generated sexualised nude images of the MEP were shown on or linked from about a dozen websites; she reports feeling sick and then angry and had to pursue a police complaint and takedowns over about ten days (her account to Der Standard and the Salzburger Nachrichten; her statement via APA).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, Lena Schilling (Der Standard; Krone; Salzburger Nachrichten). The other parliamentarians identified by the Agora study are not part of this case. Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"AT","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"media_coverage","outcomeStatus":"unknown","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000341593/sexualisierte-ki-deepfakes-von-138-politikerinnen-gefunden-auch-lena-schilling-betroffen","primarySourceLabel":"Der Standard, 28 September 2026: Sexualisierte KI-Deepfakes von 138 Politikerinnen gefunden – auch Lena Schilling betroffen","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:34.967728+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T04:13:34.967728+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfakes","sexualised-deepfakes","nudifier","politician","austria","european-parliament","police-complaint","takedown","agora-digitale-transformation"]},{"id":"2026-italy-siracusano-ai-altered-photo-vannacci-facebook-reggio-by-election","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"corroborated","evidence":[{"locator":"'Una foto ritoccata della sottosegretaria ai Rapporti con il Parlamento e deputata di Forza Italia, Matilde Siracusano, compare sulla pagina Facebook di Roberto Vannacci, leader di Futuro Nazionale.'; 'nella foto originale Siracusano indossa una maglietta bianca sotto la giacca floreale, che però è 'sparita''","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'Nell’immagine, realizzata a partire da uno scatto originale del profilo Instagram della parlamentare'; 'La modifica consiste nella scomparsa della maglietta bianca indossata sotto la giacca floreale: al suo posto emerge una scollatura molto più accentuata.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'ha pubblicato una foto della compagna del governatore, la sottosegretaria Matilde Siracusano, con una profonda scollatura creata artificialmente'","relation":"context","source_id":"s5"},{"locator":"'Nella fotografia originale di Matilde Siracusano sotto la giacca c’è effettivamente una maglietta chiara.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"}],"assertion":"An altered photograph of Matilde Siracusano appeared on Roberto Vannacci's Facebook page in a by-election campaign post; in the original photograph she wears a white top under a floral jacket, and in the posted version the top had disappeared and a deeper neckline appeared in its place.","causal_attribution":"AGI and RaiNews each describe the public post and its difference from the original photograph, and the blog that first published the image concedes that the original shows a light T-shirt; ANSA's phrase 'profonda scollatura creata artificialmente' repeats Mara Carfagna's statement quoted by AGI and Adnkronos (reviewer translation: 'the white top worn under the floral jacket disappears: in its place a much more pronounced neckline emerges'). Who made the alteration is addressed in c2."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Quella che abbiamo pubblicato -afferma ancora il blog- non era una fotografia reale. Era un’immagine elaborata con l’intelligenza artificiale.'; 'Nell’immagine elaborata quella parte è stata invece ricostruita artificialmente dall’intelligenza artificiale'; 'risale addirittura a giovedì 24 settembre alle 12,33'; 'venerdì 25 settembre alle 8,27'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s4"},{"locator":"'pubblicando il link del blog Iacchitè, che aveva pubblicato l'immagine generata con l'IA'","relation":"context","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The blog Iacchite' says it published the image with an article on 24 September 2026, that the image was produced with artificial intelligence and was not a real photograph, that the AI reconstructed the neck and neckline area where the original photograph shows a light T-shirt, and that Vannacci reposted it on 25 September without citing the source.","causal_attribution":"The blog's own account relayed by Adnkronos (reviewer translation: 'What we published was not a real photograph. It was an image produced with artificial intelligence'). The blog does not name the tool or say who prompted it; it characterises the image as satirical and not pornographic."},{"id":"c3","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'Usare l'intelligenza artificiale per spogliare una donna, con la volontà evidente di denigrare una donna, è un problema gigantesco per tutti'; 'sta valutando l'ipotesi di \"presentare una denuncia'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"},{"locator":"'annunciando l’intenzione di presentare querela. «Si tratta di un reato e le donne vanno tutelate.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"},{"locator":"'per ora diciamo che si muoveranno i miei avvocati'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s6"},{"locator":"'E si rivolgerà a un avvocato per una querela.'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s7"}],"assertion":"Siracusano described the image as using AI to undress a woman in order to denigrate her, called it a crime, and said she intended to file, or was weighing, a criminal complaint (querela); she told la Repubblica that her lawyers would act.","causal_attribution":"Her own statements to several outlets (reviewer translation of Adnkronos: 'Using artificial intelligence to undress a woman, with the evident will to denigrate a woman, is a gigantic problem for everyone'). An announced complaint is recorded; no filing is reported."},{"id":"c4","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'A chi mi accusa, senza alcuna concretezza, di aver modificato una foto con la IA, rispondo di cercare meglio e di rivolgere le accuse, eventualmente, a chi di dovere'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s8"},{"locator":"'rimandando al blog che ha pubblicato il post corredato con la foto manipolata della deputata di Forza Italia'","relation":"supports","source_id":"s3"}],"assertion":"Vannacci replied on Facebook that those accusing him without any concreteness of having altered a photo with AI should look better and direct their accusations to whom they are due, linking to the blog that had published the image.","causal_attribution":"Vannacci's public reply as quoted by Corriere della Calabria and Adnkronos; he denies making the alteration and does not dispute that he posted the image."}],"effects":[{"label":"an AI-altered image removing the top under her jacket and generating a deeper neckline was published on a blog and reposted by a party leader on Facebook during an election campaign; she described it as a sexist attack to denigrate her and announced legal action","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://www.agi.it/politica/news/2026-09-26/vannacci-siracusano-39260391/","kind":"wire_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (AGI, 26 September 2026; Italian). Describes the Facebook post and the original photo. Quotations are Italian originals; English renderings in this record are reviewer translations, no human translator.","independence_group":"agi"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.rainews.it/articoli/2026/09/vannacci-rilancia-foto-scollata-della-sottosegretaria-ritoccata-con-lia-fi-insorge-3ec0ff68-f70e-4e3a-9928-23445143b36d.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (RaiNews, 26 September 2026; Italian). Describes the alteration, Siracusano's statement announcing a querela, and Vannacci's reply. Reviewer translation. Siracusano's quoted words ('una scelta perversa e squallida') match those ANSA attributes to her Corriere.it interview, so for c3 this likely relays the same interview as s7.","independence_group":"rainews"},{"id":"s3","url":"https://www.adnkronos.com/politica/matilde-siracusano-post-foto-ritoccata-ai-fake-oggi-bufera_3BWSuxpUZl4k99BHdYNcPW","kind":"wire_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (Adnkronos, 26 September 2026; Italian). Siracusano's direct comments to Adnkronos, Vannacci's Facebook reply and political reactions. Reviewer translation.","independence_group":"adnkronos"},{"id":"s4","url":"https://www.adnkronos.com/politica/siracusano-vannacci-foto-ia-blog-iacchite-oggi_5MZGVSAnIoHq3R7JG6ZG8c","kind":"wire_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (Adnkronos, 26 September 2026; Italian). Relays the blog Iacchite's own statement on how and when it published the AI image; the blog post itself was not read. Reviewer translation.","independence_group":"iacchite-blog-statement"},{"id":"s5","url":"https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/politica/2026/09/26/bufera-per-la-foto-modificata-di-siracusano-rilanciata-da-vannacci_f4bf9e8a-edc2-49a5-b090-6cd8df138b96.html","kind":"wire_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (ANSA; Italian). Canonical URL of the article read (the Google News link resolved to an older slug with the same ID); headed 'Domani si vota alle suppletive a Reggio, tempesta su Vannacci per la foto fake di Matilde Siracusano'. Reviewer translation.","independence_group":"ansa"},{"id":"s6","url":"https://www.repubblica.it/politica/2026/09/26/news/matilde_siracusano_fi_vannacci_foto_nuda_ia_intervista-425609252/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read on 2026-09-27 (la Repubblica interview, 26 September 2026; Italian). Only the opening of the interview was available (JSON-LD article body); the remainder is paywalled and was not read. Reviewer translation.","independence_group":"repubblica"},{"id":"s7","url":"https://www.tempostretto.it/news/post-di-vannacci-con-foto-ritoccata-dallia-matilde-siracusano-querela-lex-generale.html","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (Tempo Stretto, Messina, 26 September 2026; Italian). Relays Siracusano's statement to Corriere della Sera (not read). Reviewer translation.","independence_group":"corriere-della-sera-interview"},{"id":"s8","url":"https://www.corrieredellacalabria.it/2026/09/26/foto-con-lia-vannacci-replica-cercate-meglio/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"it","translation_note":"Read live on 2026-09-27 (Corriere della Calabria, 26 September 2026; Italian). Quotes Vannacci's Facebook reply. Reviewer translation. Its account of Vannacci's reply is word-for-word identical to the corresponding RaiNews paragraph (s2), so the two share one account for c4.","independence_group":"vannacci-facebook-reply"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["public_life","elections","privacy"],"unknowns":["Which AI tool produced the image and who operated it (the blog says the AI generated the altered area but does not name the tool or the person).","Whether the criminal complaint has been filed and under which offence; whether a prosecutor has opened an investigation.","Whether the post was removed from the blog or from Vannacci's Facebook page, and how widely it was shared.","The dates of the blog's publication (24 September) and Vannacci's repost (25 September) rest only on the blog's own statement relayed by Adnkronos; no other inspected source dates the Facebook post."],"geography":{"basis":"The image was published by a Calabrian blog and on the Facebook page of an Italian party leader in the campaign for the Reggio Calabria by-election (AGI, RaiNews, ANSA, Adnkronos); Siracusano is an Italian deputy and undersecretary. No filed complaint or court is reported, so court_countries is empty.","court_countries":[],"event_countries":["IT"],"affected_person_countries":["IT"]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a core depicted_or_impersonated case: several national outlets describe an AI-altered image of a named public figure that removed clothing and generated a deeper neckline, circulated in an election campaign; the blog that first published it says it was produced with AI. She announced legal action. The tool and operator are unknown.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-27"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The blog Iacchite', which says it first published the image, states it was 'elaborata con l'intelligenza artificiale' and that the AI reconstructed the neck and neckline area (via Adnkronos). RaiNews and Corriere della Calabria, in an identical passage, describe it as an image generated with AI; Adnkronos as a photo retouched by AI; AGI as a collage of other photos. Siracusano says it was altered with software and AI (RaiNews, Adnkronos). These outlet descriptions do not independently establish how the image was made. No tool is named and no forensic analysis is reported.","status":"reported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"Italy: an AI-altered photograph of Undersecretary Matilde Siracusano, with the white top under her jacket removed and a deeper neckline generated in its place, was posted by Futuro Nazionale leader Roberto Vannacci on Facebook on the eve of the Reggio Calabria by-election; she called it a sexist attack and said she would take legal action (September 2026)","summary":"On the eve of the 27-28 September 2026 Chamber by-election in the Reggio Calabria constituency, Roberto Vannacci, leader of Futuro Nazionale, posted on Facebook a campaign image showing Matilde Siracusano, Undersecretary for Relations with Parliament and a Forza Italia deputy, seated at a table beside the centre-right candidate Fabio Roscioli and Senator Claudio Lotito. According to AGI and RaiNews, the white top Siracusano wears under her floral jacket in the original photograph (taken from her Instagram profile, per RaiNews) had disappeared and a much deeper neckline appeared in its place. The Calabrian blog Iacchite', to which Vannacci pointed, said it had published the image on 24 September, that it was not a real photograph but an image produced with artificial intelligence, and that the AI had reconstructed the neck and neckline area; Vannacci reposted it on 25 September without citing the source, according to the blog. Siracusano told Adnkronos that using AI to undress a woman in order to denigrate her was 'squalid'; RaiNews reports her calling it a crime and announcing her intention to file a criminal complaint (querela), while Adnkronos and ANSA say she was weighing one; she told la Repubblica that her lawyers would act. Vannacci replied that his accusers should 'look better' for whom to blame. Ministers and politicians across parties, including Forza Italia leader Antonio Tajani, condemned the post. No complaint filing, investigation or removal of the post is reported in the inspected sources.","incidentDate":"2026-09-24","incidentEndDate":"2026-09-25","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"range","exposurePattern":"single_interaction","reportedDate":"2026-09-26","aiSystem":"An unidentified generative-AI image tool that, according to the blog Iacchite', produced the composite image and regenerated the neck and neckline area of Siracusano's photograph; the tool is not named","aiProduct":"Unidentified image tool","severity":"low","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["reputational_harm"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Siracusano says an AI-altered image that 'undressed' her was used for electoral propaganda to denigrate her; she called it sexist and squalid and announced legal action (her statements to Adnkronos, RaiNews, la Repubblica). The image circulated on a blog and on Vannacci's Facebook page and became a national controversy (AGI, ANSA).","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"alleged","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1,"affectedCountStatus":"exact","affectedCountEvidence":"One person, Matilde Siracusano, depicted in the altered image (AGI, RaiNews, Adnkronos). Exact 1.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"IT","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"media_coverage","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://www.agi.it/politica/news/2026-09-26/vannacci-siracusano-39260391/","primarySourceLabel":"AGI, 26 September 2026: Vannacci 'amplia' la scollatura di Matilde Siracusano sui social ed è subito bufera","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-27T03:39:45.926413+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:40.986462+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","image-manipulation","politics","election","italy","calabria","sexualised-imagery","depicted-or-impersonated"]},{"id":"2026-manhattan-da-deepfake-ncii-site-seizure","caseFacts":{"claims":[{"id":"c1","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"'seizure of 12 domain names of illegal websites'; 'turn pre-existing photos and videos of approximately 1,200 real people into what appear to be hyper-realistic images and videos of those individuals engaging in sexual conduct'; 'overwhelmingly women and primarily public-facing individuals'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'the seizure of 12 domains'; 'Around 1,200 people—overwhelmingly women—were depicted in nonconsensual sexual images and videos on the websites'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The Manhattan DA seized 12 domains used to disseminate, publish and sell non-consensual AI-generated sexual deepfakes of approximately 1,200 real people, overwhelmingly women, including actors, politicians, athletes, musicians, activists and influencers.","causal_attribution":"Directly established by the DA's press release; corroborated by WIRED's independent reporting."},{"id":"c2","status":"reported","evidence":[{"locator":"'many videos appeared to be reposts of content that had originally be[en] shared on the MrDeepFakes website'; 'On at least two of the seized websites, elected officials were given profiles'; '56 European politicians... 16 US politicians and two based in the UK'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"Many videos reposted content from the defunct MrDeepFakes platform, and dozens of politicians appeared on the sites (56 European, 16 US and two UK-based figures per the American Sunlight Project), some with profiles containing their names and positions.","causal_attribution":"Reported by WIRED, citing researchers Benjamin Shultz (American Sunlight Project) and Leonie Oehmig (Institute for Strategic Dialogue); not part of the DA's release."},{"id":"c3","status":"documented","evidence":[{"locator":"'seized these websites pursuant to a court order'; 'Our investigations into these websites and similar operations are ongoing'; sites not named.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s1"},{"locator":"'a seizure warrant issued by a New York State Supreme Court'; 'has not publicly named the websites'.","relation":"supports","source_id":"s2"}],"assertion":"The seizure was carried out under a New York State Supreme Court warrant; the DA did not name the sites and said investigations into who ran them and uploaded content are ongoing.","causal_attribution":"DA release and WIRED."}],"effects":[{"label":"about 1,200 real people depicted in non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery published and sold on 12 seized websites","claim_id":"c1","direction":"negative"}],"sources":[{"id":"s1","url":"https://manhattanda.org/manhattan-d-a-s-office-seizes-domains-of-12-illegal-websites-selling-ai-generated-deep-fakes/","kind":"official_statement","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-17 (DA press release, 14 Sep 2026). ~1,200 real people, 12 domains, overwhelmingly women, court-ordered seizure, ongoing investigation, victim hotline.","independence_group":"manhattanda"},{"id":"s2","url":"https://www.wired.com/story/new-york-seizes-a-dozen-celebrity-deepfake-websites/","kind":"news_report","access":"read","language":"en","translation_note":"Read in English on 2026-09-17 (datePublished 2026-09-14). Independent reporting: observed takedown notices pre-announcement, New York State Supreme Court warrant, MrDeepFakes reposts, ISD and American Sunlight Project researchers, 56 EU / 16 US / 2 UK politicians.","independence_group":"wired"}],"version":1,"ai_roles":["others_use"],"contexts":["privacy","justice","everyday_life"],"unknowns":["No individual victim is named and the ~1,200 figure is the DA's approximation; how it counts depicted people versus content creators is not fully specified.","The site operators and uploaders are not identified and no arrests are reported.","How long the sites operated is unclear (WIRED cites one claiming to have been online since 2018); the anchoring event date is the 14 September 2026 seizure."],"geography":{"basis":"Event and court: the seizure was executed by the Manhattan DA under a New York State Supreme Court warrant (DA release, WIRED). Affected people span many countries (US, UK and dozens of European figures per the American Sunlight Project) and are not enumerated, so affected-person countries are left empty.","court_countries":["US"],"event_countries":["US"],"affected_person_countries":[]},"publication":{"basis":"Published under the 2026-09-15 charter as a bounded series of non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery affecting about 1,200 real, identifiable-category people, anchored to the Manhattan DA's 14 September 2026 seizure. The DA's release and WIRED's independent reporting (with named researchers) are read; the count is the DA's approximate figure and the counting method for anonymous-actor artifact waves is flagged for the operator.","reviewed_on":"2026-09-17"},"ai_involvement":{"basis":"The Manhattan DA's office states AI image- and video-creation tools were used to turn real people's photos into sexual deepfakes; WIRED and cited researchers describe the AI-generated non-consensual imagery on the seized sites. The specific tools are not identified.","status":"supported"},"person_relations":["depicted_or_impersonated"]},"name":"New York: the Manhattan District Attorney seized 12 websites selling AI-generated sexual deepfakes of about 1,200 real people","summary":"On 14 September 2026 Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the seizure of 12 domain names used to disseminate, publish and sell non-consensual AI-generated sexual 'deepfake' videos. His office said individuals under investigation had used AI image- and video-creation tools to turn photos and videos of approximately 1,200 real people, overwhelmingly women, into hyper-realistic sexual imagery without consent. The victims included actors, politicians, athletes, musicians, activists and social-media influencers. WIRED and outside researchers reported that many videos reposted content from the defunct MrDeepFakes platform and that dozens of politicians appeared on the sites; investigations into who ran them are ongoing.","incidentDate":"2026-09-14","incidentKind":"bounded_series","incidentDatePrecision":"day","exposurePattern":"unknown","reportedDate":"2026-09-14","aiSystem":"AI image- and video-generation tools (not identified), used to create non-consensual sexual deepfakes","aiProduct":"Unidentified image and video tool","severity":"high","verificationStatus":"credible","harmCategories":[],"harmOutcomes":["exploitation_or_abuse","reputational_harm","psychological_distress"],"harmOutcomeSummary":"Approximately 1,200 real people, overwhelmingly women, had their faces and bodies turned into non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery published and sold on 12 websites; the Manhattan DA described an immense toll on victims' emotional and mental wellbeing and careers, and seized the domains.","frameworkFacets":[],"causationStatus":"supported","participantUsersAffectedMin":0,"otherPeopleHarmedMin":1200,"affectedCountStatus":"documented_minimum","affectedCountEvidence":"The Manhattan DA's office states approximately 1,200 real people were depicted in non-consensual sexual imagery on the 12 seized sites; WIRED independently reports the same approximate figure, and the American Sunlight Project counted dozens of politicians among them (56 European, 16 US, 2 UK). The 1,200 figure is the prosecuting authority's approximate count of depicted real people; recorded as a documented minimum.","victimAgeRange":"adult","jurisdiction":"US","platformType":"other","outcomeType":"investigation_opened","outcomeStatus":"ongoing","primarySourceUrl":"https://manhattanda.org/manhattan-d-a-s-office-seizes-domains-of-12-illegal-websites-selling-ai-generated-deep-fakes/","primarySourceLabel":"Manhattan District Attorney's Office press release, 14 September 2026: D.A. seizes domains of 12 illegal websites selling AI-generated deepfakes (~1,200 real people)","firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-17T03:27:44.31761+00:00","updatedAt":"2026-09-30T01:17:45.263793+00:00","scopeVersion":"facts-v3","tags":["deepfake","ncii","non-consensual-imagery","manhattan-da","new-york","celebrities","united-states","depicted-or-impersonated"]}]}