Victims urge tougher action on deepfake abuse as new law comes into force
The article reports that victims and campaigners in the UK are welcoming the enactment of a new law that makes creating non-consensual AI-generated explicit images a criminal offence, but they argue stronger protections are still needed. The offence was added as an amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 and has only recently come into force. A coalition of groups including Stop Image-Based Abuse delivered a petition with more than 73,000 signatures to Downing Street calling for civil justice measures like takedown orders for abusive imagery and improved support services for victims. Survivors like Jodie described the emotional harm and difficulty of seeking justice before the law existed, while others highlighted gaps in protections for sex workers whose commercially made intimate images are misused. The Ministry of Justice said it is also targeting “nudification” apps and making non-consensual sexual deepfakes a priority offence under the Online Safety Act, placing new duties on tech platforms to prevent the spread of such content.
