Attack on Tódová first reported deepfake audio featuring a journalist within the European Union

Location: Slovakia
Date: September 28, 2023

Update: March 6, 2024

Two days ahead of Slovakia’s general election, a widely shared AI-generated clip aimed to deceive voters and tarnish the reputation of journalist Monika Tódová. Women Press Freedom is concerned by deepfakes targeting journalists, and demands social media giants take steps to protect users from audio deepfakes. We welcome the decision of the Slovak prosecutor to investigate the case and call for a swift probe to hold those responsible for the cyber attack against Tódová accountable.

On September 28, 2023, an AI-generated audio clip spread on social media two days before the country’s general election. The audio details a fictitious phone conversation between journalist Monika Tódová and Michal Šimečka, the chairman of Progressive Slovakia. In the clip, manipulated voices discuss strategies to rig the election, including purchasing votes from the Roma community. 

Denník N, the daily newspaper where Tódová works, quickly denounced the clip as fake, and the news agency AFP's fact-checking department identified several indications of AI manipulation. Despite this, the clip spread rapidly across social media platforms, predominantly Facebook, during the 48-hour pre-election moratorium when discussing the election is prohibited.

A request to Meta, the company behind Facebook, to remove the clip remained unanswered. Meta's policies on manipulated media only cover video deepfakes — the audio clip was allowed to circulate.

The Jan Kuciak Investigative Centre analyzed the spread of the clip and found that it appeared in 20 Facebook page posts. Most of its dissemination occurred through personal profiles, making tracking difficult. The creator of the manipulated audio is unknown.

The Slovak prosecutor is investigating the incident, signaling a willingness by authorities to take the threat seriously. On March 6, 2024, Tódová testified, marking a welcome step forward in the case.

Tódová has faced numerous attacks for her work, including doxxing, surveillance, smears, and political attacks. This latest attempt to discredit her through AI is worrying, being the first reported case of such an attack on a journalist within the European Union.

The Slovakian election served as a test case for the EU's Digital Services Act, which aims to combat disinformation online. The act introduced new rules to make platforms more proactive and transparent in moderating disinformation. The election saw the emergence of deepfake audio recordings and AI-generated impersonations, which raised concerns about the difficulty of identifying and reacting to AI-generated disinformation.

Women Press Freedom raises alarm about how the spread of false content and the misuse of AI tools threaten journalists. These fakes can be used to impersonate journalists and discredit their work. Without proper regulation and comprehensive policies from social media companies, deepfake technology can be exploited to manipulate public opinion, undermine trust in the media, and disrupt democratic processes. 

The clip targeting Monika Tódová highlights the need for stronger regulation from Facebook to address deepfakes on its platform. Women Press Freedom calls on Meta and other social media giants to take appropriate action against the circulation of audio deepfakes to prevent further attempts to discredit journalists. We urge the Slovak prosecutor to conduct a prompt and transparent probe into this abuse of technology so the perpetrator can be held accountable.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.