UK Government crackdown on explicit deepfakes

Predators who create sexually explicit ‘deepfakes’ could face prosecution as the Government bears down on vile online abuse

• Government to make creating sexually explicit ‘deepfake’ images a criminal offence
• Perpetrators to face up to two years behind bars under new offences for taking an intimate image without consent and installing equipment to enable these offences
• Package delivers on UK Government’s Plan for Change and manifesto commitment to protect women and girls

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 Alex Davies-Jones 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 Westminster 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.

Further information:

• 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.