UK Government moves to ban deepfake ‘nudification’ apps

The UK Government has announced new laws to make it illegal to create or supply artificial intelligence (AI) tools that can create nude images of people without their consent.

These images are commonly known as “deepfakes” images are realistic but completely fabricated pictures created using AI systems. According to research from Sensity AI, a deepfake detection service, 90 to 95 per cent of all online deepfakes are non-consensual pornographic images.  

Around 90 per cent of these deepfakes depict women, with reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material more than doubling in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025, according to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF).  

Announcing the policy, Jess Phillips, the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, said: “‘Nudification’ apps are not used for harmless pranks. They devastate young people’s lives, and we will ensure those who create or supply them face real consequences. Every child deserves to grow up safe, and we will do whatever it takes to make that a reality.”

The government is also moving to make it impossible for children in the UK to take, share or view a nude image using their phones. The government says it will join forces with tech companies to make this goal a reality, designed to better protect young people from grooming, extortion, bullying, harassment and sexual abuse.

Worldwide, 24 million people visited ‘nudification’ services in September 2023 alone and 9 in 10 reports to the IWF of child sexual abuse content online contain images taken by children themselves, often coerced by predators online.

Technology secretary Liz Kendall said: “Women and girls deserve to be safe online as well as offline. We will not stand by while technology is weaponised to abuse, humiliate and exploit them through the creation of non-consensual sexually explicit deepfakes.”

Earlier this month the Scottish Government announced it would consult on similar plans to outlaw the non-consensual creation of deepfake images.

Speaking during a Holyrood debate on violence against women and girls, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice Shirley-Anne Somerville announced the plans as part of the Scottish Government’s efforts to tackle online harm.

 Somerville said: “The consultation will seek views on proposals to create a new offence to criminalise the non-consensual creation of deepfake images. This is due to the growth of apps which enable people to create deepfake pornographic images of another person.”