RSF documents deepfake attacks on journalists, predominantly women globally
Reporters Without Borders documented 100 deepfake cases targeting journalists in 27 countries from 2023 to 2025, with 74% targeting women. The deepfakes were used for harassment, political manipulation, and fraud, causing journalists to face threats to their credibility, personal safety, and ability to work.
What happened
Reporters Without Borders documented 100 cases of deepfake attacks targeting journalists in 27 countries between December 2023 and December 2025, with 74% targeting women journalists.
Deepfakes were used to impersonate journalists' voices and images for purposes including harassment, political manipulation, fraud, and undermining credibility. Examples include fabricated videos of Argentine journalist Julia Mengolini, Portuguese TV presenter Pedro Benevides, VOA reporter Cristina Caicedo Smit, and Radio France Internationale journalists in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A deepfake video of Pedro Benevides circulated on Facebook containing a synthetic voice making false claims about COVID-19 vaccine conspiracies. In another case, fabricated videos of RFI journalists were created to incite political instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Reported impact
Women journalists experienced 13% of documented deepfake attacks as harassment content designed to humiliate them. South African broadcaster Leanne Manas became the target of fraudulent deepfake advertisements impersonating her likeness to promote pharmaceutical and cryptocurrency scams.
Journalists reported lasting psychological effects and disrupted work. Cristina Caicedo Smit halted video production for two weeks following the deepfake attack. Leanne Manas reported receiving up to 50 daily messages from people deceived by fraudulent content using her image, including confrontations at her workplace. Some journalists reduced professional activities or considered ceasing work due to concerns about image misuse.
Index analysis
The documented cases demonstrate systemic targeting of journalists to undermine press freedom through reputational damage, political manipulation, and fraud. The disproportionate targeting of women journalists suggests gender-based dimensions to these attacks.
Multiple attack vectors were identified: political manipulation (as seen in Democratic Republic of Congo and with Cristina Caicedo Smit), financial fraud (cryptocurrency and pharmaceutical scams using Leanne Manas's image), and personal harassment to impede journalism work.
Governance controls
Political deepfake attacks remain largely unaccountable. Slovak journalist Monika Todova filed defamation charges over a fabricated voice recording used to suggest electoral fraud, but the police investigation remained open and unresolved as of March 2024.
Argentine President Javier Milei amplified harassment against Julia Mengolini by sharing mockery of her efforts to stop the deepfake attacks. French journalist Salomé Saqué called for regulation of deepfake content.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.