The lower house of the Australian parliament has passed a bill targeting the sharing of deepfake sexual materials without consent. This bill aims to address the increase in sexually explicit content created by artificial intelligence or other technologies online. The Criminal Code Amendment (Deepfake Sexual Material) Bill 2024 was introduced a month ago and passed on July 3.
The new legislation focuses on penalizing those who share non-consensual sexual deepfakes, with potential imprisonment of up to six years for offenders. However, the creation of such content is not explicitly penalized under the bill. The bill must still pass the Senate before becoming law.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus emphasized the seriousness of the issue, stating that the sharing of sexual deepfakes is a form of abuse primarily targeting women. He highlighted the degrading and harmful impact on victims and stressed the need for accountability in cases of non-consensual sharing of deepfakes.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek also expressed concerns about the negative impact of sexual deepfakes on gender stereotypes and the need for government action to address these challenges posed by new technologies.
While the Opposition supported the bill’s intentions, concerns were raised about potential legal implications, particularly regarding the definition of consent. Liberal MP Nola Marino highlighted the importance of clearly defining consent in the legislation to ensure the protection and safety of individuals in the evolving landscape of AI-generated content.
Australia is not alone in addressing the issue of sexual deepfakes, as other countries like the United States have also introduced legislation to combat the spread of such harmful materials online. The global response to this growing threat underscores the need for proactive measures to safeguard individuals from the negative impacts of deepfake technology.
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