Bauru Mayor Suellen Rosim Victim of Deepfake Attack
Brazil's Bauru Mayor Suellen Rosim, a reelection candidate, was the target of a deepfake synthetic media attack in which her face was digitally inserted onto a nude female body. The deepfake image circulated on WhatsApp, and Rosim filed a police report on September 18, 2024.
What happened
A deepfake video circulated on WhatsApp in which Suellen Rosim's face was digitally inserted onto the body of a nude woman. A verification tool assessed that the content was 'probably generated with artificial intelligence' and had been shared 'with frequency' on WhatsApp.
Reported impact
Rosim described the attack as 'a criminal and repugnant attitude, characteristic of people with bad character.' She stated: 'I cannot admit this type of attack, which reveals what we, public women, whether in politics or in other prominent areas, suffer simply because we are women.' Rosim noted that she had previously been targeted with malicious montages and racist and misogynist language, including references such as 'nymph in a brothel,' 'vassal,' and 'whore.'
Index analysis
The use of deepfakes in this election was prohibited by Brazil's Electoral Justice. The sharing of such material could be classified as a crime.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.