United Kingdom Online Safety Act 2023

1. Introduction

The Online Safety Act, passed in October 2023, contains significant provisions to counter a wide range of online dangers. One of these was making it illegal to generate and disseminate sexually explicit deepfakes without permission. The major goals of this historic regulation are to improve online safety and provide critical protection against digital abuse.

2. Scope of the Law

The Act is specifically aimed at the creation and distribution of sexually explicit material produced by artificial intelligence that involves persons without their clear consent. Its scope covers all types of adult-themed deepfake pornography. Appreciating the value of art and satire, the legislation provides restricted exemptions for content that is truly satirical or artistic and does not involve harm to individuals or violate their privacy rights.

3. Key Provisions

• At the core of the Online Safety Act are uncomplicated Acts Prohibited, explicitly making it unlawful to create and distribute sexually explicit deepfakes without the person’s express consent.
• In addition, the Act creates vital Consent Requirements, requiring people to give their express consent prior to their image being utilized within any sexually explicit deepfake material.
•  To handle the threat of large-scale damage, the Act also imposes Platform Responsibilities on online platforms to put in place sound policies and mechanisms to identify and remove such illegal deepfakes from their platform at a fast pace.

4. Penalties & Enforcement

Those found guilty of Online Safety Act offenses are liable to large penalties, up to two years in prison. Regional policing bodies enforce this vital law, with support and guidance provided by the National Crime Agency where there are wider networks or where there are more serious cases of abuse.

5. Comparison to Global Standards

The UK approach is aligned with international efforts to contain deepfakes. South Korea, for instance, has passed a stringent law that criminalizes the creation, dissemination, and possession of deepfake pornography. The UK is unique in addressing this challenge; however, due to a focus on the creation and spread of sexually explicit deepfakes without consent.

6. Practical Implications

The Online Safety Act has strong practical implications for individuals and online platforms. Individuals need to be highly vigilant that the creation or dissemination of sexually explicit deepfake content without express permission is now a criminal act with severe legal repercussions. Victims of this type of content are highly advised to report such cases to their local police station, who are now legally authorized to investigate and initiate legal proceedings against offenders under this new system.

7. Future Outlook

Its introduction is expected to provide more specific legal frameworks for handling offenses related to deepfakes. Ongoing advances in AI technology may require further revisions in legislation in order to address new problems of deepfake abuse sufficiently.