The New South Wales Government has passed landmark legislation outlawing the creation and distribution of sexually explicit deepfakes, according to Inside the Government. The goal is to expand the state’s protections against image-based abuse in response to the growing use of artificial intelligence.
Premier Chris Minns said the reforms send a strong message that AI-driven gender-based abuse will not be tolerated. “There is no place for gender-based abuse in NSW, and that includes through the use of deepfakes,” he said. “These are important changes to keep women safe from this insidious form of abuse.”
The Crimes Amendment (Intimate Images and Audio Material) Bill 2025 updates the Crimes Act 1900 to criminalize producing sexually explicit deepfakes intended to depict a real, identifiable person. Offenders face penalties of up to three years in prison. Sharing or threatening to share such content, even if the person did not create it, also carries the same penalty.
Attorney General Michael Daley said the amendments ensure laws keep pace with emerging technologies. “Non-consensual, sexually explicit deepfakes are a form of abuse disproportionately targeted at women and young girls. This bill ensures people who seek to objectify, intimidate or degrade women using AI can be prosecuted.”
The legislation also criminalizes the non-consensual creation and distribution of sexually explicit audio material, whether real or AI-generated. Existing court takedown powers will apply to the expanded offences.
Minister for Women Jodie Harrison praised the reforms as a major step in building a safer New South Wales. She credited advocacy groups such as Full Stop Australia and Domestic Violence NSW for their input in shaping the bill.
The laws build on previous measures banning the non-consensual sharing of altered intimate images and reinforce NSW’s zero-tolerance approach to digital sexual exploitation.
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