A politician has spoken out about why she opted to publicly hold up a nude photo of herself in Parliament.
New Zealand MP Laura McClure has made headlines with her bold and unprecedented move, and has been praised for drawing attention to a growing concern for celebrities and civilians alike.
McClure held up a censored AI-generated nude image of herself in Parliament on May 14, 2025, to underscore the alarming ease with which deepfake technology can be misused.
The ACT Party representative revealed that creating the explicit image took her less than five minutes to create using readily available online tools, highlighting the urgent need for legislative action against non-consensual deepfake pornography.
She said she used one of hundreds of websites that allow users to upload someone’s image or video and “nudify” them, typically with just a tick box to confirm age and consent — often without any actual verification.
A Growing Digital Threat
According to the Law Association of New Zealand, 90 to 95% of online deepfake videos are non-consensual pornography, and 90% of them depict women.
Overseas, Ofcom statistics show that 64% of people who’ve seen deepfakes say the content featured celebrities or public figures, 15% said it was someone they knew, and 6% said it was of themselves. Alarmingly, 17% believed the person in the video was under 18.
McClure said the deepfake photo was meant to underline just how “real — and easy” these images are to make, and just how harmful they can be.
“For the victims, it is degrading and it is devastating. It gave me the ick having to stand in Parliament and hold up the photo of myself, even knowing that it’s not actually me,” she told the New Zealand Herald.
“Holding that up in Parliament was absolutely terrifying, it did rattle me.”
The Deepfake Digital Harm and Exploitation Bill
In response, McClure introduced the Deepfake Digital Harm and Exploitation Bill, which aims to update existing New Zealand laws on revenge porn and intimate recordings. The bill would criminalize the creation and distribution of non-consensual sexually explicit deepfakes and offer clear legal paths for victims to seek removal and justice.
“The problem isn’t the tech itself, but how it's being misused to abuse people. Our laws need to catch up,” she explained in a video on Instagram.
Political and Public Reaction
While there are general laws in New Zealand around harmful digital communications, none currently cover deepfakes specifically. McClure is calling for change, echoing moves by other countries.
The UK government has introduced new laws allowing offenders to be prosecuted for creating or sharing explicit deepfakes, following a 400% rise in cases since 2017, according to data from the UK’s Revenge Porn Helpline.
In the US, President Donald Trump signed the Take It Down Act in May, which makes it a crime to publish intimate images without consent. The law also requires platforms to remove such images within 48 hours of a victim's request.
“No one should ever be the target of deepfake porn — especially without their consent. This is abuse, plain and simple,” McClure wrote on Instagram.
A Bill Waiting in Limbo
McClure’s bill currently sits in Parliament’s member’s ballot, competing with 40 other bills for a chance at debate. It could be fast-tracked if adopted by a minister or supported by a majority of 61 non-executive MPs.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has so far declined to take it on as a government bill.
Despite this, McClure says cross-party support is growing. New Zealand First, members of the Green Party, Labour MPs, and Te Pāti Māori have all shown interest.
“I do think this is not a political issue," she said. "It’s something that everyone can resonate with no matter the side of the political spectrum you’re on.
“This is no longer limited to celebrities, or politicians — this could be your child, this could be your colleague, this could be your friend or anyone within your whānau.”
Over on Instagram, social media users praised McClure's actions, hailing her "brave", with one person writing: "Thank you so much for the work you do!"
Another added: "Soooo good. Let’s hope it’s acted on soon!"