Philippines Senate Hearing on AI-Generated Deepfake Pornography Targeting Actress Angel Aquino and Others
Actress Angel Aquino and content creator Queen Hera testified before a Philippines Senate committee that they were victims of AI-generated deepfake pornography. Aquino described the experience as a violation of dignity and called for strong laws and enforcement against perpetrators, those who share the material, and platforms that host it.
What happened
Actress Angel Aquino testified before the Philippines Senate committee on women that she learned from a friend of a deepfake video using her face. Queen Hera, a content creator and businesswoman, also testified that her daughter fell victim to deepfake pornography.
Aquino described the deepfake material as non-consensual sexual content using her face, identity, and integrity. She noted that other personalities in the limelight have also become victims but may not know about it yet.
Reported impact
Aquino described the experience as nauseating, confusing, and humiliating, characterizing it as a 'digital assault' that strips away dignity in an obscene manner and violates a person as if it were a sexual act.
Aquino raised concerns about innocent unsuspecting women and girls who may not have a platform to fight back, noting that the effects of deepfakes can be catastrophic to the rights of women and girls and their integrity, autonomy, and choice.
Index analysis
The hearing, convened by Senator Risa Hontiveros' committee on women, examined the use of AI technology to proliferate deepfake pornography.
Governance controls
Aquino urged authorities to act fast and punish perpetrators, including those who share and repost deepfake materials, websites that host them, and platforms that allow them to spread. She called for strong, enforceable law to address the issue.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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