Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has initiated legal action seeking 100,000 euros (roughly Rs 90.91 lakh) in damages following the circulation of deepfake videos portraying her in explicit contexts, reported the BBC. The distressing incident involves the creation and dissemination of explicit videos featuring Giorgia Meloni's likeness superimposed onto another individual's body.


Who Uploaded The Video?


These manipulative videos were uploaded online by two perpetrators, a 40-year-old man and his 73-year-old father, who are currently facing charges of defamation, as per the report.


Authorities were able to identify the suspects by tracing the smartphone utilised to upload the deepfake content. The disturbing revelation suggests that the fabricated videos date back to 2022, a period prior to Giorgia Meloni's assumption of the role of the Italian Prime Minister.


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'Send A Message'


Scheduled to appear before a court in July, Giorgia Meloni's testimony will underscore the severity of the matter. The indictment highlights that the illicit videos were uploaded onto an explicit content website based in the United States and garnered millions of views over an extended period.


Emphasising the "symbolic" nature of the damages sought, the legal representatives of the Italian Prime Minister have clarified that the entirety of the awarded sum will be donated to initiatives supporting women affected by male violence. Maria Giulia Marongiu, the lawyer representing Giorgia Meloni, expressed that the compensation demand aims to empower victims of such abuses of power to come forward without fear of reprisal.


The damages claim is intended to "send a message to women who are victims of this kind of abuse of power not to be afraid to press charges," affirmed Maria Giulia Marongiu, echoing the resolve of Giorgia Meloni's legal team.


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Several Indian actresses, including the likes of Rashmika Mandanna and Katrina Kaif, fell victim to deepfake videos of explicit nature late last year. The Modi government has been very proactive in addressing the issue, with Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Rajeev Chandrasekhar stating that the IT ministry and the Centre will nominate a rule seven officer and will take 100 per cent compliance from all the platforms, in a bid to deal with synthetic content and deepfakes online.