Under the proposed legislation, individuals distributing illicit material will be subject to a six-year prison sentence, while those involved in creating and distributing such content will face a more severe penalty of seven years imprisonment.
The federal government has been prompted to implement legislation prohibiting the sharing of sexually explicit, non-consensual material due to the notable surge in the production of AI-generated pornographic deepfake images.
As reported by the ABC, new offences will apply exclusively to sexual material involving adults, while child abuse material will continue to be addressed under distinct, dedicated offences.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus is scheduled to introduce this new legislation on Wednesday (5 June) in Parliament.
“These reforms will make clear that those who seek to abuse or degrade women through doxxing, deep fakes, or by abusing their privacy online, will be subject to serious criminal penalties,” Dreyfus said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also expressed how harmful content glorifying violence against Australian women will not be tolerated.
“There should be zero tolerance for harmful content that glorifies violence against Australian women. Young adults should not be coached in disrespect or misogyny by online influencers,” he said.
Source: New deepfake porn laws to ‘address a major legal gap’ in Australia – Lawyers Weekly