RSF - Reporters sans frontières
RSF - Reporters sans frontières
05/26/2026 | Press release | Archived content
Accepted as amicus curiae in Julia Mengolini’s deepfakes case in Argentina, RSF warns of escalating online gender-based violence
The Argentine justice system has accepted the request by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) to act as amicus curiae - a mechanism allowing organisations to contribute legal and technical arguments - in the case brought by journalist Julia Mengolini, founder of the independent radio station Futurock, against several defendants, including President Javier Milei. RSF reiterates its condemnation of the increasingly widespread online gender-based violence against women journalists in Latin America, and warns of coordinated campaigns of hate, sexualised humiliation, disinformation and harassment being used to silence critical voices and encourage self-censorship.
Deepfakes of a pornographic nature, death threats and threats of sexual violence, lawsuits, defamatory attacks… The harassment campaign targeting the journalist Julia Mengolini was carried out in June 2025 by figures close to Argentina's President Javier Milei. She says Milei himself was responsible for 93 posts on the X platform within 48 hours.
Known for being outspoken, Futurock's founder had just discussed the relationship between Milei and his sister on a television programme on the C5N channel. Julia Mengolini filed a complaint in August 2025, which, given the scale of the online campaign, resulted in a prosecutor opening an investigation into President Milei, members of his government, and supporters on suspicion of threats and harassment against her.
Having already raised concerns about the increased harassment of journalists under the Milei government, RSF applied to be a party to the ongoing legal proceedings as an amicus curiae. The Argentine justice system has accepted the request. Through its contribution, RSF aims to bring an international perspective to the issues of press freedom, the safety of journalists and gender-based violence against women in digital arenas.
"The attacks against Julia Mengolini cannot be regarded as an individual dispute, nor as a legitimate expression in the public debate. They constitute serious obstacles to the practice of journalism. This case demonstrates how online gender-based violence has become a contemporary form of censorship. The creation and dissemination of artificially generated, sexist and sexually explicit content, along with threats and coordinated harassment campaigns, are not merely aimed at harming one journalist. They are designed to intimidate other women who investigate, express opinions, or criticise those in power, as journalists. The Argentine justice system must examine these events from the perspective of press freedom and gender equality, and recognise that such attacks directly affect the right to be informed. RSF urges authorities and digital platforms to take action against the production and dissemination of deepfakes, especially when they are used to intimidate journalists or exclude them from public debate.
Artur Romeu
Director, RSF Latin America
Julia Mengolini has been nominated for the 2026 RSF Press Freedom Prize in the Independence category, which is awarded to journalists and organisations that continue to defend press freedom in the face of political, economic and institutional harassment. This nomination underscores the importance of the work carried out by Julia, who, despite being hounded, has continued her journalistic activities and has kept denouncing the mechanisms of persecution against the press.
Escalation in online violence using AI
The use of generative artificial intelligence to create fake content exacerbates the impact of these campaigns. In an analysis of 100 cases of deepfakes targeting journalists in 27 countries from December 2023 to December 2025, RSF found that three-quarters of the victims (74%) were women and that 13% of them had been the subject of pornographic deepfakes. The case of Julia Mengolini was included to illustrate the use of such content to degrade, intimidate and damage the professional credibility of women journalists. This form of attack was also documented by RSF in its exclusive study entitled "Journalism in the #MeToo Era," published in October 2024.
Insults, defamation and threats against critical journalists and media outlets have become commonplace under President Milei. This worrying situation is reflected in RSF's 2026 World Press Freedom Index, in which Argentina is ranked 98th out of 180 countries and territories, 11 places lower than in 2025. In 2023, before Javier Milei came to power, Argentina was ranked 40th.
Published on 26.05.2026
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