Deepfakes, Dignity, and Data: Why Privacy is a Women’s Issue

Happy International Women’s Day!

I’ve been fond of this day ever since I was an international student in Genova, Italy, and I’d get bunches of mimosas everywhere… I used to think that it kind of has no sense: if women are advocating for equal rights, why would they need their own special day; wouldn’t that contradict/void the movement itself?

Today, more than 20 years later, I actually think that the dedicated day is still very much needed to highlight the systemic issues that disproportionately affect women across the globe. From pay gaps (which are very prevalent even in well developped countries) to online harassment, including AI-generated abuse like the deepfake imagery recently discussed by the regulators.

A few weeks ago, 61 data protection authorities around the world issued a joint warning about AI systems capable of generating hyper-realistic images and videos of real people without their knowledge or consent. The concern is not science fiction nor over-regulation that we often see in some jurisdictions. It is an already existing reality. And overwhelmingly, women are the primary targets.

The message here is quite simple: innovation CANNOT come at the expense of dignity. Fabricated non-consensual intimate images, defamatory deepfakes… AI-generated content that acts as an amplifier of old harm in a new technological disguise.

But beyond regulation lies a broader thuth. Privacy is not only a technical or legal concept (as appears via policies, compliance programs, and regulatory frameworks). Privacy at it’s core is about something much more human that we tend to forget: control over one’s identity. A control that has been historically fragile for women in particular.

Asking why women have their own day is a bit like asking why we have environmental day if we all share the same planet. The point isn’t special treatment, it’s visibility! Until opportunities and risks are truly equal, the yearly reminder will serve to note that the work is in progress but not finished…

Cheers to all and a virtual mimosa to my ladies! _💐