UK to criminalise creating sexually explicit deepfakes

Britain plans to criminally charge individuals who create and share s3xually explicit deepfake images to better protect women and girls, a minister announced Tuesday, January 7. The government also intends to introduce new offences for taking intimate images without consent and installing equipment to do so, with perpetrators facing up to two years in prison, according to the Ministry of Justice.

Victims minister Alex Davies-Jones highlighted the existing gaps in the law, stating, “We’re making it more robust to protect women and girls.” She emphasized the seriousness of the issue, noting that “one in three women in the UK were victims of intimate images of them being made or shared in so-called ‘revenge p0rn’ attacks.”

“It’s awful. It’s horrific. It really, really makes women vulnerable, intimidates them, and these perpetrators of these crimes deserve to feel the full force of the law,” Davies-Jones told Sky News.

The justice ministry pointed out the alarming rise in hyper-realistic deepfakes, describing the trend as “causing devastating harm to victims.” Deepfakes are digitally manipulated or AI-generated images featuring real people, often used in a non-consensual and exploitative manner.

Experts have warned that the rapid spread of non-consensual deepfakes is outpacing global efforts to regulate the technology, with the rise of cheap AI tools, including photo apps capable of digitally undressing women.

Campaigner Jess Davies praised the government’s initiative, stating, “Intimate-image abuse is a national emergency that is causing significant, long-lasting harm.” The new offences will be part of the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill, which the justice ministry said will be unveiled “when parliamentary time allows.”

However, the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) urged the government to accelerate the legislative process.