Deepfakes and Digital Dignity
In her early 20s and freshly moved to London, “Jodie” had it all ahead of her. Nothing could have prepared her for what happened next.
She came to discover that images of her were being used without her consent on online dating apps and on social media. And it didn't stop there. She was tipped off by an anonymous source that she'd been “deepfaked,” her face transposed onto the body of a woman having sex in pornographic videos.
She had to fight for the serious attention of the police, and could secure only partial justice. So how far does the law protect women who have faced abuse through the use of their images online without their consent?
On this first episode of Cross Examination: Series Three, Tom is joined by:
Claire McGlynn, Professor of Law at Durham University and member of the Judicial Appointments Commission. She's worked closely with politicians, civil society, and survivors to strengthen laws tackling online abuse, such as ensuring women and girls were included in the Online Safety Act, and more recently working on the new law criminalising the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes.
Emily Harman, an online safety advisor and criminal attorney. Her background is in defending and prosecuting serious sex offences and violence against women and girls. She's previously advised tech companies on their obligations relating to safeguarding users online and collaborated with law enforcement and civil society on projects aimed at combating online sexual abuse and exploitation.
Cross Examination is written and presented by Tom Cross KC. Produced by Basil Oxtoby, Alex Rees and Jelena Sofronijevic.
