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Explicit AI-generated images sent to neighbours in harassment campaign
Carmen Lau, a 30-year-old pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong now living in the UK, has been subjected to a targeted harassment campaign involving fake, sexually explicit images sent to her neighbours in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The letters, dispatched from Macau last month, featured manipulated images of Lau offering sexual services, she told the BBC.
Activist speaks out about escalating intimidation
Lau described the images as "AI-generated or photoshopped," with her face superimposed onto explicit content. "The letters had a couple of very unpleasant images, portraying me as a sex worker," she said. "When I was in Hong Kong, pro-Beijing agents used gender-based harassment against activists, but AI technology has taken this intimidation to another level."
She first learned of the letters after Liberal Democrat MP Joshua Reynolds contacted her, having been alerted by constituents who received them. Reynolds condemned the campaign, stating, "The government must make it clear that this is unacceptable. We cannot allow such letters to be sent to UK residents."
Pattern of transnational repression
Lau fled Hong Kong in 2021 following the introduction of the National Security Law, which led to the arrest of opposition politicians and activists. Since relocating to the UK, she has been vocal in criticising China's Communist leadership, including its plans to construct a "mega embassy" in London, which she warns could facilitate the repression of critics abroad.
Last year, up to a dozen of Lau's neighbours received letters from Hong Kong, purportedly from police, offering a £95,000 bounty for her capture and handover to the Chinese embassy in London. The latest letters, sent from Macau, mark an escalation in the harassment.
Calls for government action
Reynolds has raised the issue with both the Home Office and the Foreign Office, demanding accountability from Beijing. A government spokesperson responded, stating, "The safety and security of Hong Kongers in the United Kingdom is of the utmost importance."
Lau confirmed that police are investigating the matter. The UK government has previously stated that it will not tolerate foreign powers intimidating or harming individuals or communities within its borders. It has also condemned the Hong Kong Police Force's issuance of arrest warrants and bounties, raising concerns directly with Chinese and Hong Kong authorities.
Broader implications for activists
Lau expressed concern over the use of AI in amplifying harassment, calling it "beyond just transnational repression." She warned that such tactics could have a chilling effect on activists and critics of the Chinese government living abroad.
"As a woman, it is very worrying. This is not just about silencing me-it's about sending a message to others."
Carmen Lau
