BARONESS OWEN: Why we must end the scourge of deepfake pornography now

A new report from the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee has called for urgent action to tackle the growing problem of deepfake pornography.

The report, which was published on 10 March 2023, found that deepfake pornography is a "serious threat to women and girls" and that it is "likely to get worse in the coming years".

Deepfake pornography is created using artificial intelligence (AI) to create realistic images or videos of people engaging in sexual activity. Often, the people in these images or videos are not aware that their likeness is being used.

The report found that deepfake pornography is having a number of harmful effects on women and girls, including:

• Increased risk of sexual harassment and abuse
• Damage to reputation and privacy
• Psychological distress

The report also found that deepfake pornography is a threat to democracy, as it can be used to spread misinformation and propaganda.

The report makes a number of recommendations to tackle the problem of deepfake pornography, including:

• Creating a new criminal offence of creating or distributing deepfake pornography
• Investing in new technology to detect and remove deepfake pornography
• Raising awareness of the harms of deepfake pornography
• Educating people about how to protect themselves from deepfake pornography

The report also calls on the government to work with other countries to develop a global response to the problem of deepfake pornography.

The report is a welcome step forward in the fight against deepfake pornography. However, it is important to remember that this is a complex issue that will require a sustained effort from governments, law enforcement, and the tech industry to solve.