The United Kingdom has made it illegal to create or request sexually explicit deepfakes of adults without their consent, under new legislation aimed at tackling technology‑facilitated abuse.
The new law, which came into effect this week, criminalizes the creation, sharing, or solicitation of AI‑generated intimate images made without consent. Offenders can now face prosecution for producing or requesting such content, even if the images are never distributed publicly.
Lawmakers say the measure closes a major legal gap as artificial intelligence makes it easier to fabricate realistic sexual images of people. Victims often suffer lasting reputational and psychological harm, with little recourse to justice under previous regulations.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk described the legislation as “a vital step in protecting people from the cruel misuse of AI technology.” Advocacy groups welcomed the move, saying it places the UK among the first countries to directly outlaw non‑consensual deepfake creation.
Experts note that enforcement will remain a challenge, given the anonymity and speed of online image generation, but they see the law as an important message that consent must remain central in the digital age.
