The European Parliament’s Gender Equality Committee has passed a proposal from MEP Maria Walsh calling for increased funding to address the growing threat of gender-based violence online.
The vote came as part of the Committee’s work on shaping priorities for the European Union’s next Multiannual Financial Framework – its long-term budget – which will take effect after 2028.
MEP Walsh’s amendment specifically calls for dedicated investment from the EU to address the rise in online abuse and harassment, particularly those targeting women and girls through gender biased algorithms.
A committed advocate for equality and online safety, MEP Walsh serves as a full member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM).
MEP Maria Walsh said:
“The rise of gender-based violence online is fueled in no small part by biased algorithms which repeatedly reinforce dangerous and outdated stereotypes of women and girls. These algorithms feed into the creation of harmful content online such as Deepfake videos and images. Shockingly, 96% of Deepfakes created are pornographic in nature with 99% of victims being women.
“Looking at emerging technology such as GPT-3, new AI models and algorithms often perpetuate ideas related to sexual violence against women – which is of grave concern to me because it can easily spread harmful ideas and normalize violence.
“I’m proud that my colleagues on the Gender Equality Committee supported my proposal to increase funding for protection against gender-biased algorithms and online abuse. The proposal will now form part of the Parliament’s official recommendations as negotiations on the EU’s future budget begin, which I will be following closely over the coming months.
“I recently met with Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib, during which we discussed the rise of online gender-based violence and Deepfakes. I am happy to say I received her backing for the Commission’s support in tackling this issue – the time for meaningful action is now.”
