New Law Targets 'Intimate' Deepfakes in Stalking and Harassment Cases
- markdarrenwilkinso
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Jersey to Introduce New Legislation Targeting Deepfake and Intimate Image Abuse
Jersey’s government is drafting new legislation aimed at tackling stalking and harassment, including specific measures to address the growing threat of ‘intimate’ deepfakes and other forms of online abuse.
The proposed law, currently in development by the Justice and Home Affairs department, will introduce a series of new criminal offences related to image-based abuse. These include the non-consensual creation and distribution of sexually explicit deepfake images, as well as the sending of unsolicited intimate content.
The initiative, announced by Minister for Justice and Home Affairs Deputy Mary Le Hegarat, forms part of broader efforts to address both traditional and online stalking and to enhance protections for children and vulnerable individuals in the digital space.
"Online harms, particularly to children, are constantly evolving," said Deputy Le Hegarat. "This work is closely linked to our response to violence against women and girls, and we are actively pursuing recommendations made by the VAWG Taskforce."
Among the key provisions being considered are:
Making it a criminal offence to create intimate images of another person without their consent.
Prohibiting the creation or distribution of sexually explicit deepfake images without consent.
Criminalising the sharing or threatening to share intimate or deepfake images without consent.
Banning the unsolicited sending of intimate images.
These offences are expected to be incorporated into the Sexual Offences (Jersey) Law 2018, enhancing the existing legal framework and aligning Jersey with other jurisdictions that have recently introduced similar protections.
The department is reviewing legislative approaches in other countries to ensure Jersey’s new law is both effective and comprehensive.
The move directly responds to Recommendation 11 of the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Taskforce Report, which calls for the introduction of intimate image abuse offences as part of a wider strategy to combat gender-based violence and digital exploitation.
