Victims of Deepfake Abuse Urge Tougher Action as New Law Takes Effect
The law criminalizing the creation of non-consensual intimate images has come into effect, but victims of deepfake abuse are urging stronger protection against AI-generated explicit images. Campaigners from Stop Image-Based Abuse delivered a petition to Downing Street with over 73,000 signatures, calling for civil routes to justice such as takedown orders for abusive imagery on platforms and devices.
The law includes the introduction of an offence against creating explicit deepfake images, which was introduced as an amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. However, campaigners are frustrated by delays to the law coming into effect, arguing that it has caused millions more women to become victims of abuse.
Victims have shared harrowing stories of discovering intimate images of them being used as deepfake pornography on social media and porn websites. One victim, who uses a pseudonym, discovered images of her in 2021 and had a difficult time getting justice due to the lack of specific laws covering such cases.
Despite the new law, campaigners are still calling for improved relationships and sex education, adequate funding for specialist services, and protection for sex workers from intimate image abuse. They argue that the current law falls short of addressing this issue, as it only recognizes commercialized intimate images as copyright breaches.
The Ministry of Justice has stated its commitment to tackling the issue, with plans to ban "nudification" apps and place extra duties on platforms to prevent non-consensual sexual deepfakes from appearing. However, victims are urging stronger action to protect themselves and others from the devastating effects of deepfake abuse.
With one in three women in the UK experiencing online abuse, the need for tougher protection against AI-generated explicit images has never been more pressing. As the new law takes effect, it is clear that more needs to be done to address this growing issue and provide justice for those affected by deepfake abuse.
The law criminalizing the creation of non-consensual intimate images has come into effect, but victims of deepfake abuse are urging stronger protection against AI-generated explicit images. Campaigners from Stop Image-Based Abuse delivered a petition to Downing Street with over 73,000 signatures, calling for civil routes to justice such as takedown orders for abusive imagery on platforms and devices.
The law includes the introduction of an offence against creating explicit deepfake images, which was introduced as an amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. However, campaigners are frustrated by delays to the law coming into effect, arguing that it has caused millions more women to become victims of abuse.
Victims have shared harrowing stories of discovering intimate images of them being used as deepfake pornography on social media and porn websites. One victim, who uses a pseudonym, discovered images of her in 2021 and had a difficult time getting justice due to the lack of specific laws covering such cases.
Despite the new law, campaigners are still calling for improved relationships and sex education, adequate funding for specialist services, and protection for sex workers from intimate image abuse. They argue that the current law falls short of addressing this issue, as it only recognizes commercialized intimate images as copyright breaches.
The Ministry of Justice has stated its commitment to tackling the issue, with plans to ban "nudification" apps and place extra duties on platforms to prevent non-consensual sexual deepfakes from appearing. However, victims are urging stronger action to protect themselves and others from the devastating effects of deepfake abuse.
With one in three women in the UK experiencing online abuse, the need for tougher protection against AI-generated explicit images has never been more pressing. As the new law takes effect, it is clear that more needs to be done to address this growing issue and provide justice for those affected by deepfake abuse.
with how long it took for this law to come into effect... like, what's taking so long?! 
73k signatures and still, victims are suffering 
. We need stronger protection from these AI-generated explicit images, ASAP 
! Takedown orders on platforms and devices would be a game-changer 
. And what's with the lack of specific laws for cases like this? It's not just about commercialized intimate images... it's about women being harassed, humiliated, and traumatized online 
. We need better relationships and sex education, more funding for services, and protection for sex workers too 
! The Ministry of Justice is all talk, but what are they doing to back up their promises? 
Let's keep pushing until we see real change 
.
, adequate funding for specialist services 
, and protection for sex workers from intimate image abuse. It's not just about creating a new law, it's about making sure we have the resources and support in place to tackle this issue.
. We need to do better, and we need to do it now! The Ministry of Justice needs to step up their game and provide stronger protection for its citizens. I'm glad that campaigners are pushing hard for change, but we can't just sit back and wait for the law to catch up – we need to take action ourselves 
another law just went into effect and people are still getting harassed online 
73k signatures is not enough for these victims, they're saying it's time to get stricter on AI-generated explicit images 
. I feel bad for them, one woman got abused with deepfake images in 2021 and she had a hard time getting justice 
. The government's trying to do something, but one in three women are still getting online abuse and this just won't cut it 
. It's not just about creating laws, we need to make sure they're actually enforced 
These women are already going through so much emotional trauma and it feels like no one's listening 
. We need to push for more funding, better education, and support services that actually help them recover from this abuse 
. And let's not forget about the sex workers – they're often targeted too 
. And what's w/ the delays in implementing this law? It's like, we're still seeing millions of women become victims of abuse & it's not fair 
. The law's gotta do better than that - like, we need some serious consequences for the people creating and sharing these sick deepfakes 
. Like, where are the resources for these victims? Where are the specialists to help them deal with this trauma? We need to take care of people's well-being over just punishing the abusers 
. It's time for us to get serious about deepfake abuse and make sure we're doing everything in our power to protect each other online 
. Seriously though, let's get this law working properly and protect people from these AI-generated images, it's not worth waiting for anyone else...
. It feels like a classic case of "we'll fix it eventually" 
. But let's be real, this law needs to be more than just a Band-Aid solution 
. We need systemic change here