Overview
- This week ZDF aired and posted the documentary '37°Leben: Deepfakes - Leben nach digitaler Gewalt' in its Mediathek, making public the stories of several women targeted by AI-generated sexual material.
- Theresia, a 23-year-old law student, said deepfakes used her name and face to create pornographic images including sexualized violence, she reported the abuse in 2023 and initially struggled to have her complaint recorded before police later identified a suspect who was fined one hundred day-fines.
- Atessa, 32, found her identity stolen to run fake accounts and says a former school friend was responsible; she filed a complaint but the criminal proceedings were later discontinued.
- Victims describe lasting harms such as shame, disgust, severe anxiety and life changes—Theresia paused her studies for a year and Atessa reported physical signs of stress—illustrating the personal cost of digital sexual violence.
- Reporters and the film say Germany’s legal framework and current evidence practices do not clearly cover AI-manipulated material, creating uneven outcomes and fueling calls for clearer laws, stronger policing standards and greater platform responsibility.