The creation of non-consensual sexually explicit deepfakes will be made a criminal offence as the government cracks down on violence against women and girls.

The Ministry of Justice said on Tuesday that predators who create these images – sexually explicit pictures made to resemble real people using AI – could face up to two years in prison under new offences.

Under the new rules, the creation and sharing of these images will be criminalised as part of the Labour government’s manifesto pledge to drastically reduce harms against women.

“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,” said Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones.

“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.”

A seedy industry of ‘nudification’ has recently emerged as AI technology makes the generation of realistic images more accessible. The most common targets are women known by the perpetrator.

The most popular apps offering these services have tens of millions of monthly users according to research by Australian software group Canva.

“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,” said Technology Minister Baroness Jones.

“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.”

The new offences will be included in the Crime and Policing Bill which has yet to be introduced.

Conservative Peer Baroness Owen last year introduced a private members bill that similarly aimed to criminalise non-consensual sexually explicit image creation.

Owen told UKTN that it was vital to include the criminalisation of the solicitation of these images as well as the creation, to prevent people from eliciting the help of bad actors from other legal jurisdictions.

Read more: ‘Traumatising’ deepfake AI porn must be banned, says Baroness Owen

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