The UK government has announced that it will criminalize the creation of sexually explicit “deepfakes”—photos or videos that are modified using artificial intelligence (AI) to resemble someone without their consent. People convicted of making such deepfakes without consent, even if they do not plan to share the photographs, will face criminal charges. Furthermore, if the image is widely shared, the producers may face jail time.
The new offense will be proposed as an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill, which is presently being debated in Parliament.
Laura Farris, Minister for Victims and Safeguarding, stated that it will give a “crystal clear message that creating deepfakes is immoral, often misogynistic, and a crime.”
The new rule has increased the punishment for exploiting deepfakes by making their creation illegal, even if they are not shared
This law intends to broaden the scope of legal protection against online sexual exploitation in the United Kingdom. Previously, in November 2022, an amendment to the Online Safety Bill proposed that non-consensual sharing of deepfakes be deemed a criminal offense, particularly for first-time offenders, who might face jail time. This was in response to growing global worries about the abuse of modern technology, which is often pornographic.
The new rule has increased the punishment for exploiting deepfakes by making their creation illegal, even if they are not shared.
“The purpose of deepfakes is often to cause alarm, humiliation, or distress to the victims and thus should be severely dealt with. It is another example of ways in which certain people seek to degrade and dehumanize others – especially women,” Laura Farris said.
The importance of a jurisdiction like this cannot be undermined, as it affects a wide spectrum of parties, particularly prominent people. In March 2024, Channel 4 News examined the five most frequented deepfake websites and discovered that nearly 4000 notable personalities had pornographic deepfakes on these websites, 255 of them were British.
“It has the capacity to cause catastrophic consequences if the material is shared more widely. This government will not tolerate it,” the minister said.
As AI technology gets more advanced and accessible, restrictions like this are a positive step toward protecting individuals, particularly women, in online environments.
