By David Crowe
Publication Date: 2026-05-05 19:58:00
Venice: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has revealed that a fake image of herself was spread online in an apparent attempt to turn voters against her. She declared it false and urged people to be wary of the “dangerous” technology trend.
Meloni took the unusual step of sharing the fake image – showing her in her underwear – to call out online critics who fell for the falsehood and complained that she should be ashamed.
However, her message warned that many others would not be able to use the power of their position to counter a deepfake image in public and that this form of online attack could happen to anyone.
The scandal comes as the European Union is investigating tech companies for giving users access to AI tools that enable the creation of nude and other images, while Britain’s regulator Ofcom is also warning of a rise in fake images.
