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Deepfake Pornography
What you need to know about the risks, the law, and the reality behind this growing form of abuse.
What is Deepfake Pornography
Deepfake pornography is a form of image-based sexual abuse. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create sexual images or videos of someone without their consent. For example, someone may place your face onto explicit content. In other cases, they may generate sexual images from ordinary photos or use tools to alter images so they appear sexual.
Unlike other forms of image-based abuse, deepfakes do not require private or intimate images. A photo taken from social media, work, or a public setting can be enough. Over time, this technology has become more accessible. Tools that once required specialist skills are now widely available and easy to use. As a result, people can create and share images within minutes.
At the same time, organisations such as the Internet Watch Foundation report a clear rise in AI-generated sexual content. In many cases, people discover these images only after they have already been shared.
In some situations, individuals use these images to humiliate or shame. In others, they use them to control or threaten. For example, someone may demand money or further images.
The Scale of Deepfake Abuse
Deepfake pornography is growing quickly and the impact is already being felt. The Internet Watch Foundation has identified a significant increase in AI-generated sexual images, including cases involving children as tools become more accessible. Hundreds of thousands of UK children are estimated to have encountered manipulated or deepfake nude imagery, often through peer sharing and social media.
Data from reports by the Children’s Commissioner for England, (2024); NSPCC/Ofcom findings; UK Government Online Harms Research; Revenge Porn Helpline; and Deeptrace/Sensity AI Reports, 2019–2023 highlight the growing prevalence.
Deepfakes are not rare. They are becoming part of how abuse happens online.
+90%
of deepfake pornography online targets women, reflecting wider patterns of gender-based abuse.
+900%
growth has been recorded in the number of deepfake videos online in recent years, with the vast majority being sexually explicit.
>1000
of cases of image-based abuse are reported annually in the UK, with younger adults at higher risk of being targeted.
Why deepfake pornography causes such serious harm
Even though a deepfake image is not real, the impact can feel very real.
Because the image looks convincing, others may believe it. As a result, it can become difficult to challenge or explain.
People affected often describe:
- Fear about who has seen or shared the image
- Loss of control over their identity or appearance
- Ongoing anxiety about the image resurfacing
- Shame, isolation, and withdrawal from others
In addition, these images can spread quickly. They can also be copied and shared repeatedly. Because of this, the experience may feel ongoing rather than limited to one moment.
What Does The Law Say?
Deepfake technology itself is not illegal. However, the way someone uses it may be a criminal offence.
In the UK, creating or sharing sexual images of someone without consent can fall under laws related to image-based abuse, harassment, coercion, or blackmail. Where a child is involved, this may also be treated as child sexual abuse material, even if AI created the image.
More recently, new legislation has aimed to strengthen protections. For example, the Online Safety Act and updates to intimate image laws focus on accountability and harm.
However, the law does not always move at the same speed as technology. Because of this, people may feel unsure about their rights or what action they can take.
“It’s Just Technology…”
People often describe deepfakes as a new or interesting development. However, this language can minimise what is actually happening.
Technology does not remove responsibility. At the centre of this issue is consent.
When someone creates or shares a sexual image without your permission, it is not neutral and it is not harmless.
The truth about Deepfakes
Many people assume something is less serious if it is not real. However, deepfakes challenge that idea.
The image may be artificial. The experience is not.
What matters is the:
- Absence of consent
- Loss of control
- Impact on the person affected
If this has happened to you
If you have experienced a deepfake, you may not know what to do next.
You might feel unsure about reporting it and might worry about how others will respond. You may still be trying to understand what has happened.
There is no single right way to respond.
Some people report the content. Others speak to someone they trust first. You may also decide to wait before taking action.
What matters is what feels manageable for you.