Discussion Point for the UK General Election: Call for Regulation of Apps and Crackdown on Revenge Pornography
In the digital age, the proliferation of nudify apps on platforms like Instagram has become a significant concern. These apps allow users to digitally remove clothing or alter images to create the illusion of nudity, often without the consent of the individuals involved.
In response, the UK government has taken decisive action to combat this issue. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA), which received Royal Assent in June 2025, criminalizes the creation and requesting of sexually explicit deepfakes without consent. This provision aims to urgently address the rise of AI-generated harmful intimate images.
The amendments to the Sexual Offences Act have made creating sexual deepfakes without consent punishable by up to 2 years in prison, effective since 2023–2024. The Online Safety Act 2023 explicitly makes it illegal to share or threaten to share non-consensual sexual images or deepfakes on social media platforms. It imposes duties on platforms to proactively remove such content or prevent its appearance, with fines up to 10% of global revenue for non-compliance.
However, there is a current gap in criminalizing the private creation of sexual deepfakes that are not shared. Experts have called for further legislation to criminalize even the development and possession of deepfake tools. Major tech platforms, such as Meta, have taken action against advertising nudify apps, but moderation is inconsistent, especially on platforms with less stringent policies.
The UK is not alone in facing these challenges. Governments worldwide need to address these issues concerning marginalized genders, as the proliferation of nudify apps and deepfake pornography disproportionately affects women and girls. With increasing accounts of adolescents being subjected to this practice, it is a duty for the UK government to protect its citizens' safety online.
The upcoming general election has made women's rights, particularly online, a key issue for young voters. The discovery of these apps on Instagram and Facebook caused substantial uproar in March 2024, particularly due to ads for Perky AI featuring an underaged Jenna Ortega. Emanuel Maiberg concluded in his 404 Media investigation that some of the most harmful uses of AI tools are actively promoted to users by social media companies.
As the capabilities of AI are rapidly accelerating, new and more sophisticated regulation is necessary. Appropriate AI advertisements regulation on social media platforms should also be considered to prevent the promotion of harmful apps like nudify apps. Changes to the Criminal Justice Bill will include new offences for creating this kind of content.
In summary, the UK has strengthened laws via amendments to the Sexual Offences Act, the Online Safety Act 2023, and the new provisions under the DUAA 2025 to criminalize creation, sharing, and requesting of nonconsensual sexual deepfakes. Enforcement focuses on both criminal penalties and platform responsibilities with significant fines for non-compliance. However, proposals and calls for broader measures criminalizing even private possession and the tools themselves remain under discussion.
- The rise in technology, particularly AI, has led to a new concern in health-and-wellness, as the proliferation of deepfake pornography, such as nudify apps, is disproportionately affecting women and girls.
- In the realm of politics, the upcoming general election in the UK has made women's rights, particularly online, a key issue for young voters, with the discovery of nudify apps like Perky AI on Instagram and Facebook causing substantial uproar.
