Italian PM Giorgio Meloni seeks compensation over deepfake video: report

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is demanding 100,000 euros in compensation after some deepfake videos were uploaded online.

Meloni is scheduled to give evidence in court in Sassari on July 2.

The 40-year-old man believed to have made the videos and his 73-year-old father are currently under investigation, the BBC reported. They allegedly swapped Meloni’s face with an adult film actor in the alleged video.

Both men are now facing defamation charges.

The report added that authorities were able to find the suspect by tracking the mobile device used to upload the alleged adult videos.

Details shared by Meloni’s lawyers said the video was uploaded to an adult content website in the United States and received “millions of views” within months. It is worth noting that according to the BBC, these deepfake videos were uploaded before she was appointed prime minister in 2022.

Meloni’s lawyer, Maria Giulia Marongiu, described the prime minister’s request for compensation as “symbolic” and said if approved, she would donate the money to a fund to support victims of Male violence against women.

“The purpose of the compensation is to send a message to the victims of this abuse of power: don’t be afraid to press charges,” the report quoted Malongiu as saying.

Under Italian law, certain defamation cases can result in criminal charges and possibly even jail time.

Deepfake videos are a type of synthetic media in which people in existing images or videos are replaced with the likeness of someone else.

Even in India, Several deepfake videos of Bollywood actorsIncluding Rashmika Mandanna, Katrina Kaif, Nora Fatehi and others have uploaded it on social media.

November 2023, Rashmika Mandanna’s deepfake video goes viral on social media. The video features British-Indian influencer Zara Patel, wearing a black top that was edited and replaced with the Bollywood actor’s face. In January, Delhi Police arrested a B-Tech graduate from Andhra Pradesh for making the video.