“If my case can help protect other victims and bring about change, then I have to find some purpose in what I went through”
A powerful new documentary looking into the issues of revenge porn, image-based sexual abuse, and the dangers of deep-fake technology is set to air on ITV this week.
It will be fronted by TV personality and activist Georgia Harrison and will delve into the devastating impact of non-consensual explicit content and the fight for justice.
Harrison’s decision to create this documentary stems from her own traumatic experience as a victim of image-based sexual abuse.
An ex-boyfriend of hers secretly recorded an intimate moment without her consent and later sold the footage online.
The incident, which went viral due to both of them being in the public eye, led to a landmark court case in the UK.
“I was with an ex-boyfriend who filmed us without my knowledge, which is classified as voyeurism. He then went on to sell it on the internet,” Harrison told Newstalk’s Hard Shoulder.
“Because of our celebrity status, it spread rapidly, and to this day, it has been viewed by tens of millions.”
She was determined to seek justice, so Harrison took her ex-partner to court and won, marking one of the UK’s most high-profile cases of image-based sexual abuse.
Her legal victory played a crucial role in influencing legislative changes and strengthening protections against these types of crimes.
Now, Georgia is an advocate for women’s rights and uses her platform to raise awareness and push for change. “I believe things happen for a reason,” she said.
“If my case can help protect other victims and bring about change, then I have to find some purpose in what I went through.”
Despite years of healing, the explicit footage remains a painful reality for Georgia because it still circulates online. “Even though my case has been widely discussed, the video is still online. That’s the hardest part for me.”
In her documentary, Harrison takes a deep dive into how technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is fuelling a new wave of digital abuse.
Apps that create non-consensual deep-fake pornography are on the rise and she said: “These ‘nudify’ apps and deep-fake sites exist solely to humiliate and violate women. They serve no purpose other than to strip away consent.”
Harrison hopes that by bringing these issues to the forefront, her documentary will kick off meaningful conversations and encourage policymakers to act fast against AI-generated sexual abuse.
“I had no idea how widespread and severe this problem was until I started this project. Governments need to move faster to regulate this technology before more lives are damaged.”
Georgia went on to say: “I know that when this documentary airs, more people may look up that video.
“But if confronting it now means preventing future victims from experiencing what I did, then it’s worth it.”
‘Georgia Harrison: Porn, Power, and Profit’ airs on ITV on February 18th and 19th.
