Macron's Evidence Confirming Brigitte's Gender: Addressing a Persistent Rumor about a Farm Animal
Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, has become the subject of a recurring disinformation narrative on the internet, falsely claiming she is a transgender woman. This narrative, which has targeted other political leaders and public figures, aims to discredit them and spread hate speech against transgender people.
The latest instance of this narrative surfaced when a Flourish data visualization circulated a publication claiming that a surgeon who announced Brigitte Macron's transgender transformation had mysteriously died in Paris. However, this message was found to be false. A search for the surgeon's name, "François Faivre," revealed no records of such a person in the medical profession.
The expert, Hany Farid, stated that AI is used as a tool to spread hate speech against transgender people. AI is capable of altering images of public figures, such as Jacinda Ardern and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, to present them as men. These false contents aim to damage the reputation of public figures by changing their gender features.
According to David Armenteros, the LGTBI+ Federation Vice President, AI allows these images to be created with an appearance of truth that makes them more believable and effective in spreading hate and generating discrimination. A single image can construct a truth, even if it's false, according to Armenteros.
In response to this disinformation, the Macrons are presenting photographic and scientific evidence in a defamation lawsuit against author and commentator Candace Owens, who spread the rumor that Brigitte Macron was born a man. The couple's lawyer has stated that a scientific expert testimony will be issued, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to "clear things up."
This is not the first time the Macrons have faced such false claims. Previously, an image circulating on the social media platform X compared Brigitte Macron to a person with masculine features, which was found to be false and edited with AI tools. Similarly, Michelle Obama and Begonia Gómez, the wife of Spanish President Pedro Sánchez, are among the public figures targeted by this narrative.
The use of deepfakes and manipulated images is a growing concern, particularly for transgender people who are among the most targeted groups for such content. These false contents not only aim to damage the reputation of public figures but also contribute to the spread of hate speech and discrimination against transgender individuals.
Professor Francesc Tarrés of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and CEO of Ugiat Technologies emphasized that "light deepfakes" are simple to create from a technological point of view. This underscores the need for increased vigilance and fact-checking to combat the spread of disinformation and protect the rights and reputations of all individuals.
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