46 Female EU Lawmakers Fall Victim to Deepfakes... Italian Prime Minister Meloni Also Takes Action

Meloni Moves to Trademark Her Voice
Deepfake Crimes Surge amid AI Boom
Four Male Members of European Parliament Also Victimized

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has filed for trademark registration of her own voice in a move aimed at combating artificial intelligence (AI) deepfake crimes. As cases of unauthorized copying of politicians’ and celebrities’ faces and voices by deepfake technology continue to spread, the individuals themselves are now seeking direct legal protection.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is waiting for a meeting with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa at the Quirinal Palace in Rome on the 5th (local time). Photo by AP Yonhap News

According to ABC News and local Italian media outlet La Repubblica on the 5th (local time), Prime Minister Meloni submitted an application to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to register her voice as a trademark. The application included a roughly 4-second audio clip in which Meloni says, in Italian, “Io sono Giorgia Meloni” (“I am Giorgia Meloni”).

Meloni’s attempt to trademark her voice is a measure to address unauthorized voice cloning enabled by AI. While trademark approval may not automatically prevent AI from mimicking her voice, local Italian media reported that it would equip Meloni with additional legal tools to respond to unauthorized use.

Prime Minister Meloni has already been a victim of deepfakes multiple times. In recent years, manipulated images of Meloni have circulated online as if they were real photos, including a fabricated picture of her sitting on a bed in her underwear. In May of this year, when the fake image resurfaced online, she emphasized the dangers of deepfakes, stating, “Deepfakes can deceive, manipulate, and harm anyone,” and urged people to verify the authenticity of online content before sharing. At that time, she stressed, “I am able to defend myself, but many people cannot.”

Meloni’s initiative is seen as part of a broader trend among celebrities to seek legal protection for their voices and appearances in the age of AI. Actor Matthew McConaughey trademarked both his voice and movements. Actress Scarlett Johansson has also publicly raised concerns over an AI-generated voice that she claimed was “eerily similar” to her own.

Politicians are particularly vulnerable to deepfake crimes. According to a report by the German civic organization Agora Digital Transformation, as quoted by the political media outlet Politico, 46 female members of the European Parliament have been targeted by AI-generated deepfake pornography. This equates to 1 in 6 of all female MEPs. Four male lawmakers have also been victimized. The report noted that politicians are especially at risk because their faces and videos are widely public online, making them obvious targets for deepfake production.

The European Union is also stepping up regulations. The European Parliament has passed a bill banning apps used to generate deepfake pornography, with the new measures set to take effect from December 2. On September 30, 119 members of the European Parliament sent a letter to EU leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urging effective enforcement of these regulations. They also called for a swift investigation into whether the AI chatbot “Grok,” available on the social media platform X, may have been used to create deepfakes.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.