Britain to Criminalize Sexually Explicit Deepfakes Amid Rising Concerns

The UK government has announced plans to criminalize creating and sharing sexually explicit deepfakes, following a surge in such image abuse mainly targeting women. The move aims to protect victims and hold perpetrators accountable, with plans for stiff penalties under the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill.

The UK government has declared that creating and sharing sexually explicit deepfakes will soon be a criminal offense. This initiative is driven by a surge in cases, particularly affecting women and girls. Deepfakes utilize artificial intelligence to create realistic, digitally altered images that often perpetuate abuse.

Previously, Britain's 2015 revenge porn law criminalized publishing intimate images without consent to cause distress. However, the law did not encompass fabricated images. Recent data from the UK-based Revenge Porn Helpline indicates a 400% increase in image-based abuse via deepfakes since 2017, prompting this legislative change.

The government aims to introduce harsh penalties under a new legal offense which will be detailed in due course. These measures, part of the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill, include potential prison sentences for offenders. The justice ministry and various officials emphasize the seriousness of this issue, with further penalties for tech platforms hosting such content.

(With inputs from agencies.)