Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni has taken a big step and imposed a fine of Rs 91 lakh on those who made her deepfake video.
Meloni alleges that her deepfake video was made without her consent and was misused.
It is noteworthy that the video Miloni is referring to was prepared before she became PM. Officials investigating this case have said that a father-son duo is involved in this work.
How did the police reach the accused?
Investigators have identified a 40-year-old man and his 73-year-old father who allegedly superimposed Meloni’s face on pornographic content and uploaded the doctored videos to the internet.
Miloni has accused both of them of defamation. The BBC reported that police were able to track down the accused by tracking the smartphone from which Miloni’s deepfake video was uploaded.
Italy’s PM will testify on July 2
Under Italian law, some cases of defamation can be classified as criminal offences. As a result of which the accused may be sentenced to jail.
The report states that Meloni is scheduled to testify before the court on July 2. The indictment alleges that the doctored videos were uploaded to a United States-based pornographic website and received millions of views over several months.
Demanded compensation of Rs 91 lakh
The Italian Prime Minister’s legal team has sought 1 lakh Euro as damages, which is worth around Rs 91 lakh in India. This amount will be used to help women victims of gender-based violence.
“Demanding compensation will send a message to women who are victims of this type of abuse of power and are afraid to press charges,” Meloni’s lawyer, Maria Giulia Marongiu, said.