A group of 119 members of the European Parliament is urging EU officials to enforce an upcoming ban on “nudifier” apps, following a study that identified 50 MEPs as affected by deepfake pornography. The letter was initiated by Austrian Green MEP Lena Schilling and Green MEP Terry Reintke.
Schilling spoke publicly after learning in September that altered nude images made from a press-conference photograph of her were circulating online. She described feeling “disgusted,” according to the Guardian.
Study identifies 50 MEPs
The study, by Agora Digitale Transformation (ADT), identified 46 women and four men among the 50 affected MEPs. The Greens/EFA group said the number represents about one in six female MEPs.
The figure should be read in the context of how the research defined exposure. ADT’s separate audit of national lawmakers used several categories, including indexed results and links to image-generation tools. The dossier does not establish that every person counted in the MEP study had an explicit image circulating online.
For its audit of national parliaments, ADT searched the names of 5,872 sitting lawmakers against 160 websites between 16 and 20 July 2026. The organization reported that women were 33 times more likely than men to be depicted in or associated with deepfake pornography. That finding comes from the national-parliament audit, not the separate count of 50 MEPs.
Ban due to take effect in December
The MEPs’ letter calls for effective enforcement of the ban on nudifier apps, which the Greens/EFA release says is due to take effect across the EU on 2 December 2026. The available material records a push for enforcement, not that the ban is already in force or enforcement has begun.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola told Parliament on 5 October that member states must prepare to enforce the ban. She also called for stronger enforcement of the Digital Services Act and implementation of the directive on violence against women.
The 50-MEP figure is based on ADT’s study, with the Greens/EFA release corroborating the reported count and letter. The materials describe growing political pressure ahead of the ban’s scheduled start, but do not document enforcement outcomes.