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 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.
To tackle this, the government will introduce a new offence
meaning perpetrators could be charged for both creating and
sharing these images, not only marking a crackdown on this
abhorrent behaviour but making it clear there is no excuse for
creating a sexually explicit deepfake of someone without their
consent.
The 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 – sending a clear message
that abusers will face the full force of the law.
Victims Minister said:
“It is unacceptable that one in three women 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.”
While it is already an offence to share – or threaten to share –
an intimate image without consent, it is only an offence to take
an image without consent in certain circumstances, such as
upskirting.
Under the new offences, anyone who takes an intimate image
without consent faces up to two years' custody. Those who install
equipment so that they, or someone else, can take intimate images
without consent also face up to two years behind bars.
The move delivers on the Government's manifesto commitment to ban
the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes as well as
recommendations from the Law Commission relating to intimate
images.
Alongside existing offences of sharing intimate images without
consent, this will give law enforcement a holistic package of
offences to effectively tackle non-consensual intimate image
abuse.
Baroness Jones, Technology Minister, said:
"The rise of intimate image abuse is a horrifying trend that
exploits victims and perpetuates a toxic online culture. These
acts are not just cowardly, they are deeply damaging,
particularly for women and girls who are disproportionately
targeted.
“With these new measures, we're sending an unequivocal message:
creating or sharing these vile images is not only unacceptable
but criminal. Tech companies need to step up too - platforms
hosting this content will face tougher scrutiny and significant
penalties.”
Campaigner and presenter Jess Davies said:
"Intimate-image abuse is a national emergency that is causing
significant, long-lasting harm to women and girls who face a
total loss of control over their digital footprint, at the hands
of online misogyny.
“Women should not have to accept sexual harassment and abuse as a
normal part of their online lives, we need urgent action and
legislation to better protect women and girls from the mammoth
scale of misogyny they are experiencing online.”
These new offences follow the Government's action in September
2024 to add sharing intimate image offences as priority offences
under the Online Safety Act. This put the onus on platforms to
root out and remove this type of content - or face enforcement
action from Ofcom.
The new offences will be included in the Government's Crime and
Policing Bill, which will be introduced when parliamentary time
allows. Further details of the new offences will be set out in
due course.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- The sexually explicit deepfakes offences will apply to images
of adults. This is because the law already covers this behaviour
where the image is of a child (under the age of 18).
- It is already an offence to share or threaten to share
intimate images, including deepfakes, under the Sexual Offences
Act 2003, following amendments that were made by the Online
Safety Act 2023.
- The Government will repeal two existing voyeurism offences
that relate to the recording of a person doing a private act, and
recording an image beneath a person's clothing.
- They will be replaced with a range of new offences:
-
- Taking or recording an intimate photograph or film
without consent or reasonable belief in it
- Taking or recording an intimate photograph or film
without consent and with intent to cause alarm, distress, or
humiliation
- Taking or recording an intimate photograph or film
without consent or reasonable belief in it, and for the
purpose of the sexual gratification of oneself or another
- We will also introduce new offences that criminalise
someone if they install or adapt, prepare or maintain
equipment, and do so with the intent of enabling themselves
or another to commit one of the three offences of taking an
intimate image without consent.
