this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2026
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The Department of Justice redacted the face of the Mona Lisa, a 522-year-old painting of an Italian woman who died centuries ago, as part of its release of files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein.

In a PDF of an email with the subject line “simply paris” sent on July 3, 2009, a redacted sender sent Epstein several photos of, presumably, himself and a woman sightseeing in Paris. The photos of the woman are all redacted with a black box over her face, but the man’s face is visible.

The photos are from tourist locations like Disneyland Paris, the Versailles fountains, and the Louvre, where the Mona Lisa is installed. “We just walked around all over the city not just the sight seeing...we took like 1500 pictures so was really difficult to decide wich to send! :)” the sender wrote at the end of the email.

Archive: http://archive.today/38KfF

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[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 23 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

I take this as an admission that this was done by AI.

[–] BurnedDonutHole@ani.social 1 points 3 minutes ago

Nope it seems there was someone else's face overlayed on Mona Lisa's face and that's why they redacted it.

[–] FatVegan@leminal.space 3 points 56 minutes ago (1 children)

They also retract a lot of "don't" because it's awfully close to donald t

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 2 points 22 minutes ago

Just don.t.

Catchy.

[–] Asfalttikyntaja@sopuli.xyz 11 points 5 hours ago

Oh my gosh, so they fucked Mona Lisa too?

[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 8 points 6 hours ago
[–] manniesalado@piefed.social 16 points 7 hours ago

AI did that!

[–] Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz 59 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

They posted an update, an official statement said that a victims face was overlaid over the artwork.

So while this probably seemed ridiculous, there was a valid reason.

[–] Kalon@feddit.online 52 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

In a functioning government this would make sense.

Unfortunately I don't take anything they say as fact anymore.

[–] Captainvaqina@sh.itjust.works 12 points 6 hours ago

I take everything these unhumans spew as what it actually is - the exact opposite of fact.

[–] scintilla@crust.piefed.social 25 points 10 hours ago (2 children)

This kinda confirms to me that they used AI to do the majority of the redaction.

[–] Mac@mander.xyz 14 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

Reading is hard.

DOJ told 404 Media that the unredacted version of the document in question contains an image of a victim’s face overlayed on the face of the Mona Lisa image.

[–] scintilla@crust.piefed.social 17 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

I don't belive them. I have no reason to belive them.

[–] harmbugler@piefed.social 8 points 7 hours ago

There are many reasons to not believe them.

[–] BremboTheFourth@piefed.ca 0 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

This is just such a weird thing to call out as a lie. Pretty sure you're only doing it so you can validate your snap conclusion. Why would they lie about this? Its not like it makes them look better; pasting some victim's face over a revered piece of artwork so they can pervertedly leer at both simultaneously is not projecting the image they want. Maybe stick to calling out consequential, evident lies.

[–] Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world 7 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Why would they lie about this?

To hide the fact that the redactions are decided by AI and the files could have been released months ago.

[–] BremboTheFourth@piefed.ca 1 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

But, like, this one specifically. There are a hundred better examples you could point to for this. Earlier I saw a headline that there are censored random words like "and" or even "I." But claiming they lied about there being a real person's face on there is just self serving.

But, like, this one specifically

Because it is a ridiculous example that is highly memeable. DoJ was so lazy they even censored the most famous face in the world.

But claiming they lied about there being a real person's face on there is just self serving.

Trust in justice is so low that we don't believe their explanation for censorship. There is no serving of self in that statement.

[–] Hacksaw@lemmy.ca 4 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

That's weird that you'd believe the DOJ over any other plausible theory they're trying to discredit.

[–] plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works -1 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

So to prove it they need to post the picture? Dumb argument.

[–] scintilla@crust.piefed.social 11 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

This is the same DOJ that we know is illegally censoring pedophiles names. Why should we belive them?

[–] Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.world -1 points 5 hours ago

The dirty perverts trapped in Epsteins honeypot were innocent. Everyone except Epstein is a victim and needs protection.

[–] plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works -2 points 8 hours ago (1 children)
[–] scintilla@crust.piefed.social 9 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

Exactly. The lying Liars who lie keep lying and it explains all the weird shit we keep seeing with the redactions. Glad you agree.

[–] MantisToboggon@lemmy.world 8 points 11 hours ago

Epstein fucking everybody!

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

the Mona Lisa, a 522-year-old painting of an Italian woman

Damn. I remember when that was brand new, and everyone was talking about it. In modern times, I believe the kids today would call it a "sick meme".

We didn't use such words back then. We called it "art".

Now you got all these yolkels hosting what they call "renaissance fairs", but they completely missed the point of them. It wasn't a festival. It was just a typical tuesday at the market! I like going to these renaissance fairs for the nostolgia, but they don't actually sell usefull goods or services. Instead they set up a "gift shop". Ugh. I just want to buy a decapitated head of a lamb, and a rack of ribs. Why do I have to go to your air conditioned big box grocery stores to do it? I want to buy it off the wooden cart of a traveling salesmen like it was INTENDED GOD DAMMIT!

turns into a bat and flys away

[–] FaceDeer@fedia.io 5 points 7 hours ago

Username checks out.