The UK government has announced that it will criminalise the creation and sharing of sexually explicit deepfake images. The government will also introduce a new rule under which perpetrators will be charged for both creating and sharing these images. The move aims to strengthen protections for women and girls against image-based abuse.
“Predators who create sexually explicit ‘deepfakes’ could face prosecution as the Government bears down on vile online abuse as part of its mission to make our streets safer,” the government said, adding, “The proliferation of these hyper-realistic images has grown at an alarming rate, causing devastating harm to victims, particularly women and girls who are often the target.”
What the proposed laws say and punishment
The proposed legislation will make it a criminal offense to create deepfakes without consent, punishable by up to two years in prison. This move closes a gap in existing laws, which currently only criminalise the sharing or threat of sharing intimate images, including deepfakes.
The UK government will also create new offences for the taking of intimate images without consent and the installation of equipment with intent to commit these offences.
Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones emphasised the urgency of addressing this issue, citing that one in three women in the UK have been victims of online abuse.
“This demeaning and disgusting form of chauvinism must not become normalised, and as part of our Plan for Change we are bearing down on violence against women – whatever form it takes. These new offences will help prevent people being victimised online. We are putting offenders on notice – they will face the full force of the law,” said Davies-Jones.
These new offences follow the UK government’s action in September 2024 to add sharing intimate image offences as priority offences under the Online Safety Act.
