The United Nations agency advancing women’s rights and gender equality warns that despite the scale of harm, women cannot get protection from artificial intelligence deepfake abuse because prosecutions are rare and platforms routinely fail to act, with survivors often re-traumatized when they try to seek help.
Deepfakes are AI-manipulated images, audio, or videos that make it appear someone said or did something they never did.
“The technology itself isn’t new. But its weaponization against women and girls is a newer phenomenon, and it’s accelerating fast,” UN Women said.
Deepfake sexual images now make up the vast majority of all deepfake content online, and almost all depict women.
The agency said the numbers are stark with 98 percent of all deepfake videos depicted women with non-consensual pornographic images, often referred to as deepfake nudes or fake nude images.
Deepfake videos were an estimated 550 percent more prevalent in 2023 than in 2019, and the tools to create them are widely available, usually free, and require very little technical expertise.
Once posted online, AI-generated content can be replicated endlessly, saved to private devices, and shared across platforms, making it nearly impossible to remove.
UN Women explained that deepfake creators rarely face justice and the accountability gap is so wide and so gendered.
Less than half of countries have laws that address online abuse. Even fewer have legislation that specifically covers AI-generated deepfake content. Most “revenge porn” or image-based abuse laws were written before deepfakes existed, leaving gaping loopholes that perpetrators walk straight through.
The agency said that even when laws exist, enforcement frequently fails. Investigators need digital forensics expertise, cross-border coordination, and platform cooperation to build a case, and most justice systems don’t have adequate resources.
It added that underreporting is one of the biggest barriers to accountability. “Most survivors choose instead to block, withdraw, and try to survive, because taking down the content and protecting themselves is urgent. But that lets perpetrators off the hook,” it said.
Additionally, tech platforms have long hidden behind “intermediary” status to avoid responsibility for user-generated content.
Celebrating Women’s Month means the public and private sector coming to terms and agreeing to do more to face issues like AI deepfake abuse that mainly targets women, and is easily accessible to almost anyone with an internet connection. It won’t be easy, but focusing on stronger legislation, determined enforcement, and closer cooperation with tech platforms should be a good start. Hopefully we can all pull together to better protect women from these kinds of attacks.*
