The UK is moving ahead with plans to make the creation of sexually explicit “deepfake” images a specific criminal offence
Deepfake refers to manipulated media, often video or audio, that is created using AI to make someone say or do something they didn't.
The United Kingdom was already made Sharing — and threatening to share — sexualized deepfake content a crime Through the Online Safety Act which came into force last year. but to make The content itself has not been covered. Accordingly, the Ministry of Justice said today announcement Plans to make existing rules more holistic cover those who make them — regardless of the role they play in any subsequent sharing.
The previous Conservative UK government was Similar plans in detailBut with a new government in place in July, Prime Minister Kier Starmer's party was unsure which direction to take, despite Labor pledging to tackle deepfakes more thoroughly in its election manifesto. Starmer himself was actually there A deepfake video topic Smear, where his AI-like appearance is seen promoting an investment scheme.
Although there are no specific laws in the US to prevent deepfakes Several states are pushing for legislation — including California, which Elon Musk's X is suing So that the law is not enforced.
Online abuse
Technology has made it easy for common people to create deepfake images and audio for any purpose, including fraudulent activities through impersonation scams. But with today's announcement, the UK government is focusing specifically on sexually explicit content, which it says disproportionately affects women.
“It is unacceptable that one in three women have been victims of online abuse,” Parliamentary Under-Secretary Alex Davies-Jones said in a statement. “This degrading and vile form of chauvinism should not be normalized and part of us Plan for change We tolerate violence against women – whatever form it takes.”
The government also announced plans to expand existing laws around taking intimate photos without consent, which are currently limited to very specific circumstances. such as upskirting. For example, anyone who installs equipment such as hidden cameras for the purpose of taking intimate photos can be jailed for up to two years. (Upskirting refers to photographing or videotaping a person under their clothes for the purpose of viewing their underwear or genitals/buttocks without their knowledge or for sexual gratification or to cause humiliation, distress or alarm.)
A specific timescale has not been detailed for these various changes. However, the government has said that it will include them as part of the upcoming Crime and Policing Billwhich will be introduced “when parliamentary time permits”.