The British government is criminalizing the creation of sexual deepfakes through new legislation, emphasizing the need for permission from the depicted person. Deepfakes, which manipulate or edit existing images, often involve placing a person’s face onto a porn actor’s body, resulting in increasingly realistic outcomes over time.
Those in Britain who contravene the law face potential fines and criminal records, with additional prison sentences possible if the images are distributed, as stated by the Ministry of Justice. The ministry denounces creators of unsolicited sexual deepfakes as reprehensible, highlighting that even creating them without dissemination can incur punishment if intended to harm victims.
Deputy Secretary of State Laura Farris condemns the use of deepfakes to humiliate and dehumanize individuals, signalling a clear stance that such actions are immoral, often misogynistic, and subject to legal repercussions.
In several European countries, making and distributing sexual deepfakes without consent is already punishable under existing laws, with potential prison sentences ranging from one to two years.
