GENEVA — A new global survey by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) found that 71% of lawmakers have faced abuse or violence from the public, with much of it concentrated online and increasingly amplified by artificial intelligence, adding fresh urgency to efforts to curb political violence, Feb. 11, 2026.
The findings, released alongside the IPU’s report “When the public turns hostile”, point to a climate in which insults, degrading language, disinformation and threats are becoming routine hazards of political life. In case studies across Argentina, Benin, Italy, Malaysia and the Netherlands, between roughly two-thirds and three-quarters of MPs reported online abuse, underscoring how political violence is shifting from physical intimidation to constant digital pressure.
How political violence is evolving: from threats at events to 24/7 online attacks
The IPU said the most commonly reported forms of intimidation include insults and degrading language, the spread of false or misleading information and threats — patterns that can escalate quickly when amplified by automated tools and anonymous accounts. In its press release, the organization warned that lawmakers increasingly face intimidation both online and offline, and that many respondents believe the situation has worsened over the past five years, particularly around elections and polarizing debates. (See the IPU release: New IPU report: Lawmakers increasingly intimidated.)
That trajectory matters because political violence does not only target individuals; it can distort representation by pushing lawmakers to self-censor, avoid public events or leave politics entirely. The IPU’s leadership has argued that the result is a chilling effect that weakens democratic debate and deters participation, especially among those already facing disproportionate hostility.
Women lawmakers and sexualized political violence in the age of AI
The survey’s case studies found women MPs were more likely than men to report exposure to violence, including sexualized abuse — a distinction that researchers and advocacy groups say is sharpened by AI tools that make it easier to generate convincing fakes, impersonations and coordinated smear campaigns. The IPU reported that women were more affected than men across the case studies, a gap that reinforces longstanding concerns about gendered political violence.
In the United States, women in politics have warned that synthetic, sexually explicit deepfakes can be weaponized to humiliate and silence public officials. One recent example, reported by The 19th, described how sexually explicit AI deepfakes have targeted women lawmakers and raised new questions about platform accountability and legal remedies. Sexually explicit AI deepfakes target women in Congress
Internationally, the problem is part of a broader pattern of technology-facilitated abuse that includes stalking, harassment and nonconsensual imagery. UN Women has emphasized that digital abuse can spill into real-world threats and constrain women’s ability to participate in public life safely. UN Women FAQ on technology-facilitated violence
Why “AI-enabled” political violence is hard to police
Lawmakers and researchers say the AI dimension of political violence is not only about deepfakes. It also includes low-cost content generation, automated harassment, synthetic accounts and faster “virality” for disinformation. That combination can overwhelm individuals and institutions, turning routine political disagreement into relentless intimidation.
Policy proposals vary by country, but tend to cluster around clearer criminal penalties for nonconsensual synthetic sexual imagery, faster takedown pathways, transparency requirements for political advertising and stronger identity verification for high-reach accounts. Some proposals also seek to improve protective services and threat reporting for elected officials, especially during campaigns and high-profile votes.
A separate analysis by New America has warned that gender-based abuse — including synthetic media and coordinated harassment — can function as a “political weapon” aimed at excluding women from leadership and public-facing roles. The targeting of female public officials
Continuity over time: political violence has been building for years
While the IPU’s new report highlights a sharp escalation, it also sits in a longer timeline of warnings about political violence and harassment directed at elected officials — particularly women.
In 2016, the IPU reported that psychological violence against women MPs was widespread, including threats and harassment that were often sexist or sexualized. IPU study reveals widespread sexism, harassment and violence against women MPs
Two years later, a Europe-wide study linked to the Council of Europe’s work during the #MeToo era pointed to high levels of psychological violence in parliaments and urged stronger institutional safeguards — early evidence that political violence was not limited to election periods or social media platforms. #MeToo: alarming levels of sexual abuse and violence found in parliaments
By 2019, the IPU was publicly tying those earlier findings to a broader concern about threats against parliamentarians and the risks posed to democratic institutions when intimidation becomes normalized. Parliamentarians at risk around the world
The new survey suggests those concerns have not only persisted, but intensified — with political violence increasingly “platformed,” searchable and repeatable through AI tools that lower the barrier to harassment.
What the IPU and lawmakers are urging next
The IPU is calling for a mix of practical protections and systemic reforms: better reporting systems for threats, stronger enforcement against harassment and disinformation, and clearer standards for online platforms whose products can accelerate political violence at scale. The organization’s warning is blunt: if the costs of public service keep rising — especially for women and minority lawmakers — democracies risk narrower candidate pools and less open debate.
Reuters’ reporting on the survey also noted how the IPU has linked the trend to rising polarization and increasingly hostile political environments in multiple countries, while highlighting the expanding role of online abuse and emerging technologies in fueling political violence. Politicians facing worldwide surge in violence and abuse, survey finds
For now, the IPU’s data leaves little doubt about the direction of travel: political violence is becoming more frequent, more networked and harder to escape. And as AI tools continue to evolve, lawmakers and regulators face a narrowing window to limit the harms before intimidation becomes an accepted cost of governance.
