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[FCE] ‘It was extremely pornographic’: Cara Hunter on the deepfake video that nearly ended her political career

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In a stark illustration of the dangers posed by modern technology, Irish politician Cara Hunter found her career on the verge of collapse after being targeted by a malicious digital attack. The incident occurred in April 2022, just three weeks before a critical election, when she received a message containing a fabricated pornographic video that appeared to feature her. The clip was a ‘deepfake’, created using artificial intelligence to convincingly place her face onto another individual’s body. The shocking discovery happened while she was with her family, compounding her distress as her phone was simultaneously inundated with abusive messages from people who believed the fake content was authentic.

In the face of this deeply personal and professional crisis, Ms. Hunter sought counsel. The advice from her political party was to remain silent, as they feared that addressing the issue publicly would only draw more attention to the video and jeopardise her election campaign. Her situation worsened when she approached the police. Law enforcement officials informed her that, under the laws at that time, no specific crime had been committed. Furthermore, they conceded that the authorities were ill-equipped, lacking the specialist technology and expertise required to conduct a proper investigation into such a sophisticated digital assault.

Despite the immense pressure and public humiliation, Hunter resolved to continue her campaign. She successfully secured re-election, but her victory was by an extremely narrow margin of just 14 votes. This result strongly suggests that the deepfake had a considerable negative impact, likely costing her a significant amount of support. Following the election, she made the decision to speak out about her horrific experience. She has since become a prominent proponent for legislative change, campaigning tirelessly for stronger laws to tackle the creation and distribution of deepfake material. Her story highlights the severe threat this technology represents, not just as a tool for personal harassment, particularly against women, but also to the very foundations of democracy through the spread of misinformation. Thanks to the efforts of campaigners like her, new laws are now being introduced to criminalise such acts.

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1. According to the article, why was the timing of the deepfake video’s release particularly damaging for Cara Hunter?

  • A. It happened while she was spending time with her family.
  • B. It was released very close to an important election.
  • C. The police were unable to help at that specific moment.
  • D. It occurred when her phone was receiving many other messages.

2. What was the official response from the police when Ms. Hunter reported the video?

  • A. They immediately started an investigation to find the source.
  • B. They advised her to make a public statement to clarify the situation.
  • C. They informed her that they lacked the ability to investigate properly.
  • D. They confirmed that creating deepfakes was already a serious crime.

3. What does the article suggest about the outcome of the election?

  • A. The controversy helped her win with a larger number of votes.
  • B. She probably would have won by a greater margin without the fake video.
  • C. Her decision to remain silent was the main reason for her victory.
  • D. Most voters were not influenced by the spread of the deepfake.

4. In the second paragraph, the phrase ‘ill-equipped’ is closest in meaning to…

  • A. unwilling to help
  • B. not legally permitted
  • C. not having the necessary resources
  • D. unconcerned by the situation

5. What is the main purpose of the article?

  • A. To describe the technical process of creating a deepfake.
  • B. To criticise a political party for giving a candidate poor advice.
  • C. To show how a politician’s personal victory changed public opinion.
  • D. To use an individual’s experience to illustrate a wider societal threat.