Debate contribution: Artificial Intelligence and Online Violence Against Women and Girls

Debate contribution by Ms Cheryl Brownlee on 26 January 2026.

MLA

Ms Cheryl Brownlee

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

26 January 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Artificial Intelligence and Online Violence Against Women and Girls

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5341441

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank the Member for proposing such an important motion and for sharing some real-life experiences, including her own. It is right to express grave concern about the documented use of AI technologies in ways that are absolutely horrific. It is another attack on women and girls, and, of course, men and boys are also affected. We know that AI offers benefits, but we cannot ignore the real and growing harms that arise from its misuse. We know that there have been numerous incidents of deepfake pornographic content being created and shared online, and, overwhelmingly, it targets women and girls. There are victims in the Chamber, and I can only commend them for coming forward and being vocal about what they have gone through. We know that the images and videos are used to harass, humiliate and silence individuals and that it can often lead to devastating consequences. Behind all the statistics that we have spoken about today, there are real people, and the overwhelming majority of them are women. They end up experiencing anxiety, trauma and stress. They worry about their job, their family and their relationships. In some cases, they can have suicidal thoughts and, of course, even worse. At the heart of it are real people, and they are potentially changed for life. The House must be unequivocal that such behaviour is wrong. It is damaging, and it must carry real consequences. Of course, I am particularly concerned about our young people. Data from Ofcom reports that 43% of people aged 16 and over said that they have seen deepfakes online in the past six months. For our young people, the fear of being targeted or, in some cases, the reality of being targeted can be life-altering. The motion rightly calls for a commitment from the UK Government to criminalise deepfake activity, and victims in Northern Ireland should not be left behind. We know, again, that legislation is not enough. As a member of the Policing Board, I have serious concerns about the PSNI's capacity to deal with the issue. A recent report entitled 'The Police Service of Northern Ireland: An inspection of police effectiveness and efficiency' was deeply worrying and revealed significant gaps in the PSNI's child protection team. We live in an age when predators are online and anonymous and too many platforms continue to turn a blind eye to the abuse taking place in their services. We know that online crimes are complex and not easy to solve — we recognise that — but urgent action is, of course, required. The teams must be properly staffed, funded, equipped and trained to meet the growing demand in the complex world that we now live in. I know that the Minister is working with urgency to progress the Chief Constable's business case to increase the workforce and address the critical gaps. It is also vital that all social media companies are held to account. The PSNI has been clear: the biggest platforms must do more. They must provide access to the information, cooperate with investigations and stop washing their hands of responsibility while the harm continues on their platforms. No matter where the abuse takes place — X, WhatsApp, TikTok or anywhere — it is never acceptable.

It was not acceptable before the introduction of AI, and it is not acceptable now. Whether you create the content or share it, you are wrong. Such treatment is not new; it has simply evolved. Many Members in the Chamber and many people listening online will have experienced abuse. That is why it is so important that we call it out for what it is: abuse. We must empower victims to speak out and ensure that they are protected when they do so. We must make it clear that people who engage in such acts, who often hide behind faceless accounts, will be held accountable. We have some of the data in front of us, but we must remember the quieter voices. There are those who suffer in silence and, through fear, shame or lack of support, do not feel that they can come out and be part of the statistics. They have done nothing wrong, and they deserve action, not words. We stand with them. For all those reasons, I support the motion and urge the Assembly to send out the clear message today that the abuse of anyone through AI-generated deepfakes will not be tolerated and that victims will not be left to fight this alone.

749 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:31 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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