New laws to clamp down on AI-generated sexual abuse
The UK government has introduced new criminal offences to combat AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM), making it the first country in the world to do so.
In an advance to existing laws around child sexual abuse, the measures are designed to ensure the justice system “keeps pace” with technological advancements and to prevent the spread of AI-generated abuse.
When the new measures come to Parliament as part of the Crime and Policing Bill, it will be a criminal offence for anyone to:
- possess, create or distribute AI tools designed to generate CSAM – with offenders facing up to five years in prison.
- possess AI-generated ‘paedophile manuals’, which teach individuals how to use AI to sexually abuse children – punishable by up to three years in prison.
- run websites that facilitate the sharing of AI-generated CSAM or grooming advice – with a penalty of up to ten years in prison.
Border Force officers will also have the authority to compel individuals suspected of posing a sexual risk to children to unlock digital devices for inspection.
"We know that sick predators’ activities online often lead to them carrying out the most horrific abuse in person,” said the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper. “These four new laws are bold measures designed to keep our children safe online as technologies evolve.”
What this means for parents
Understanding the law
It is illegal for anyone to possess or share sexual images of children. Under new measures, it will also be illegal to create, possess or share sexual images of children that have been created or manipulated using AI technology. For example, ‘nudifying’ real-life images of children or adding faces of children onto explicit content or existing CSAM, using AI software.
For children and young people, this could include situations such as:
- creating, possessing or sharing sexual images of yourself or others
- being in a messaging group where images are shared
- facilitating a platform or messaging group where images are shared
As a parent, you should never copy, share or save any CSAM imagery, regardless of how you have encountered it.
What to do
If you are concerned that your child or a child in your care has been a victim of, or been a witness to, child sexual abuse, your priority should be that they are safe. Next, you should report it to the police, social care, or the NSPCC. Read more here.
You can also report to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) anonymously.
You can find out more about other support services in our Help & Support page.