#32 From birth rates to deepfakes

How are online narratives about gender and sexuality being twisted into tools of fear, disinformation, and control?

In this episode we trace two powerful stories that expose how sexuality and identity are being weaponised across the digital space. First, we speak to Laura Bucher, Research Officer at Dare to be Grey, who analysed online conversations using the EOOH dashboard. She reveals how far-right networks are pushing “birth rate panic” narratives—tying demographic decline to feminism, immigration, and gender equality—and how these toxic ideas are influencing public debate and policy across Europe.

Then we shift to a more personal and painful reality with Omny Miranda Martone, Director of the Sexual Violence Prevention Association, who walks us through the rise of digital sexual violence, from deepfake porn to online harassment. Omny breaks down the three layers of prevention, the laws that are lagging behind, and what you can do if you witness or experience abuse online.

What links these two conversations? Control. From ideological narratives to platform-enabled abuse, sexuality remains a key battleground in today’s digital culture wars.