The Scottish Government is considering new laws to tackle deepfake images that exploit individuals without consent, especially targeting women and girls.
Edinburgh: The Scottish Government is looking to crack down on deepfake images. These are often explicit and created without the subject’s consent. John Swinney, a key figure in the government, is open to working with Westminster on this issue.
Recently, UK ministers announced plans to tackle deepfakes, with serious penalties in place. They’re talking about jail time of up to two years for offenders. There’s a lot of concern about how these images are mostly of women and girls.
During a recent session, Labour’s Pauline McNeill highlighted how unsettling it is that some creators know their victims. She shared stories of schoolgirls discovering that classmates were making deepfakes of them. It’s a real problem that needs addressing.
McNeill pointed out that deepfake abuse is a new form of violence against women. A campaign group found that a staggering 99% of these images feature women and girls. It’s alarming how often the creators are people known to the victims.
Teenage girls are finding their social media posts turned into explicit images, which is just wrong. McNeill asked if the government plans to make creating these images illegal.
Swinney acknowledged the harm these images cause, especially to women. Currently, there are laws against sharing intimate images without consent, but creating deepfakes is becoming easier with technology.
He mentioned that they’re considering specific laws to better protect those at risk. This includes looking at the UK Government’s plans to criminalize deepfake creation in Scotland.
Alex Davies-Jones, the UK Government’s victims’ minister, also spoke out. He said it’s unacceptable that so many women face online abuse. The new laws aim to prevent this kind of victimization and hold offenders accountable.
