Refuge welcomes the criminalisation of ‘deepfake’ porn
Responding to the announcement from the Ministry of Justice, which will criminalise the creation of sexually explicit ‘deepfakes’, Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Research at Refuge, Jess Eagelton said:
“Refuge welcomes the announcement from the Ministry of Justice today, which will make it a crime to create AI-generated intimate images, or sexually explicit ‘deepfakes’. This, in conjunction with the recent criminalisation of sharing AI-generated intimate images without consent as part of the Online Safety Act, will help better protect women and girls from this violating form of abuse.
Refuge does, however, have concerns over how this law change will be policed and enforced. As it stands, the police do not have the capacity, training, or resources to react to intimate images, real or fake, being created and shared online. Despite it having been a crime to share intimate images without consent since 2015, and it being illegal to threaten to share them since 2021, survivors have continued to tell Refuge that police are not treating reports in a way that reflects the seriousness of these crimes. With the creation of ‘deepfakes’ happening behind closed doors and out of sight, it is hard to comprehend how the police will be able to identify all perpetrators who are making this content.
In order for women and girls to be properly protected from AI-generated intimate image abuse, we need to see action to tackle the websites and platforms that facilitate the creation of this content. Tech and social media companies need to take accountability for the explicit and non-consensual content shared on their platforms. They need to immediately respond to such content and swiftly remove of it from sites, mitigating the risk of materials being uncontrollably reshared or saved.
The announcement today is a step in the right direction, and Refuge will continue to watch the development of legislation closely. We hope to see further changes in the future, which will strengthen the protection of women and girls from all types of intimate image abuse.”