Cara Hunter, a Northern Ireland MLA, is pushing for laws to combat deepfake videos that target women online
Belfast: A Northern Ireland MLA, Cara Hunter, is speaking out. She’s worried about a deepfake video that could ruin her career. This fake video made it look like she was in a compromising situation. It spread like wildfire in April 2022.
Hunter, who represents East Londonderry, is calling for action. She wants a review of laws on online violence against women. She’s also asking the Justice Minister to push for new laws to ban these harmful deepfakes.
Just weeks before an election, Hunter felt the pressure. She received countless messages from strangers who had seen the video. It felt like her political future was slipping away.
When she reached out to the police, they couldn’t help. They lacked the tech to trace the video. She felt isolated, like she was fighting this battle alone. The video was shared thousands of times, leading to a flood of abusive messages.
Hunter pointed out that deepfake abuse mainly targets women. Studies show over 90% of these fake images involve female victims. She explained how deepfakes can humiliate and intimidate, especially women.
“These manipulated videos threaten our democracy,” she said. “They spread misinformation and erode trust in our institutions.” She emphasized that the longer we wait to act, the more vulnerable we become.
Alliance MLA Connie Egan praised Hunter for her courage. She suggested that the First Minister and deputy First Minister work with the UK government on this issue.
Though Justice Minister Naomi Long was absent due to illness, a junior minister spoke on her behalf. She acknowledged the harm deepfakes cause to many women.
Recently, the UK government announced plans to make creating sexually explicit deepfakes illegal. The justice minister is looking to extend this law to Northern Ireland.
Hunter’s motion received support from MLAs, while the proposed amendment was voted down. It’s a step forward in the fight against online abuse.
