Tue Jan 07 01:16:09 UTC 2025: ## UK to Criminalize Sexually Explicit Deepfakes
**London, UK** – The UK government announced today that creating and sharing sexually explicit deepfakes will become a criminal offense. This move aims to combat the sharp rise in such material, which disproportionately targets women and girls. Deepfakes, AI-generated videos, images, or audio clips, are often used to create non-consensual pornography.
While revenge porn—sharing intimate images without consent—was outlawed in 2015, the current legislation doesn’t cover fabricated deepfake content. Data from the Revenge Porn Helpline reveals a staggering 400% increase in deepfake-related abuse since 2017.
The new law will allow for prosecution of both the creation and distribution of sexually explicit deepfakes. Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones called the practice “demeaning and disgusting,” emphasizing the need to prevent its normalization. Technology Minister Margaret Jones added that tech platforms will face increased scrutiny and penalties for hosting such abusive content.
Campaigner Jess Davies described intimate image abuse as a “national emergency,” highlighting the devastating impact on victims who lose control over their digital identities.
The government will also introduce new offenses for taking intimate images without consent and installing equipment for that purpose, carrying potential sentences of up to two years imprisonment. These measures will be included in the upcoming Crime and Policing Bill, presented to parliament at a date yet to be announced. The government has not yet released full details of the new deepfake legislation, including potential penalties.
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