Call for Strengthened Protection Against Deepfakes and Revenge Porn: A New Frontier in Digital Safety
Enhanced safeguards against deepfake manipulations and revenge porn advocated for - Advocacy for Enhanced Safeguards against Deepfake Manipulations and Revenge Pornographic Content Leaks
It's high time we fortify our defenses against the chilling tide of deepfakes and revenge porn on the internet. In the digital realm, Lower Saxony is taking the helm, with a particular focus on combating deepfakes - nefarious creations where artificial intelligence (AI) inserts private photos of women into explicit videos without their consent. This push for heightened protection begins at the justice ministers' conference in Bad Schandau, Saxony, where Lower Saxony will propose tougher laws to bridge the gaps in criminal law dealing with sexualized violence.
Remember, the Bundesrat endorsed a bill to combat deepfakes almost a year ago, championed by Bavaria. Alas, the bill received no attention from the previous Bundestag. The current proposal targets digital manipulations, as per the Lower Saxon resolution, but additional legal loopholes remain. For instance, there's a lack of criminal liability for acts such as the publication of personal data or stealthy photography in saunas and swimming pools.
Young girls and women are disproportionately affected by this virtual peril.
"The poisonous spread of fabricated pornographic images is rampant online," expresses Kathrin Wahlmann, the Minister of Justice for Lower Saxony (SPD). She points out that young females are often victims of revenge porn or sextortion - the insidious practice of extortion using intimate images. "Public embarrassment can have grave repercussions for the victims, from anxiety and social ostracization to, in extreme cases, suicide," the SPD representative warns. "We owe it to the victims to stand united against any form of image-based sexual violence."
Germany's efforts to combat deepfakes, revenge porn, and image-based sexual violence are evolving within the broader context of European regulatory initiatives. As an EU member, Germany responds to EU laws, such as the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), which demands that platforms remove illegal content, including deepfakes, upon reporting. The EU AI Act mandates the labeling of synthetically generated content like deepfakes.
In the ongoing battle against this formidable foe, various measures are being proposed. For instance, Germany's Women Lawyers' Association advocates for a dedicated, discriminatory crime offense for the unauthorized creation and distribution of sexualized deepfakes, independent of traditional pornography legislation. Furthermore, there's a pressing need for increased training for law enforcement, the judiciary, and specialized prosecutors to bolster awareness and develop effective countermeasures.
The EU is also stepping up efforts, with the new EU directive to combat violence against women that will criminalize the non-consensual dissemination of sexualized deepfakes across Europe, to be incorporated into national law by 2027. In addition, Germany's proposed Violence Support Act aims to improve access to legal advice and assistance for victims of violence, including those affected by image-based sexual violence.
These initiatives underscore a growing awareness of the urgent need for legal and societal responses to confront the challenges posed by deepfakes and other forms of image-based sexual violence. The digital age calls for a fortress of robust regulations, education, and support systems to safeguard our citizens from these insidious threats.
- To combat the growing issue of deepfakes and revenue porn, Lower Saxony is advocating for strengthened employment policies within the justice system, aiming to recruit more specialized prosecutors and train current personnel to better address these digital crimes.
- In an effort to curb the proliferation of deepfakes and related crimes, Lower Saxony is pushing for updates in the community policy, specifically the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) and AI Act, to mandate platforms to remove illegal content and label synthetically generated content.
