ACT MP Laura McClure has prepared a bill to restrict the generation and sharing of sexually explicit deepfakes.

"As a mother, I'm disturbed by the devastating potential impact of sexually explicit deepfakes. These can be created by anyone with alarming ease in a matter of seconds. When generated and shared without consent, deepfakes violate personal autonomy and self-ownership.

"No-one should have to worry about their digital images being misappropriated and sexualised. This new form of bullying, shaming, and harassment can lead to profound psychological, reputational, and emotional harm.

"What started as a problem for public figures and celebrities can now happen to anyone. Teachers and school leaders have told me this technology is already doing real harm to young people in New Zealand, and this abuse risks becoming normalised if we do not act urgently to ensure the law keeps up with technology.

"The Deepfake Digital Harm and Exploitation Bill expands existing legislation around revenge porn and intimate recordings, and ensures that those who produce or share deepfakes without consent face criminal accountability, and victims have clear pathways to seek redress and removal of harmful content.

"My bill amends the Crimes Act 1961 and the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 to expand the definition of 'intimate visual recording' to explicitly include images or videos that are created, synthesised, or altered to depict a person’s likeness in intimate contexts without their consent.

"Tomorrow, I'll be lodging my bill in Parliament's member's ballot, and I am writing to the Minister of Justice urging that the bill is adopted as a Government bill to expedite its passage.

"Technology can be used for both good and bad. ACT's approach is to target the behaviour that uses these technologies for harm. That's how we ensure Kiwis are both empowered and safe in the social media era."

The Deepfake Digital Harm and Exploitation Bill can be read here.

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