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Matua Kahurangi
Just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes.
A new bill introduced by ACT Party MP Laura McClure aims to address the growing threat of sexually explicit deepfakes in New Zealand, calling for stronger legal protections and accountability for the misuse of artificial intelligence to create non-consensual sexual content.
McClure, who is leading the charge on this legislative effort, says the ease with which deepfakes can be generated poses a serious risk to individual privacy and safety.
“As a mother, I’m disturbed by the devastating potential impact of sexually explicit deepfakes,” McClure said. “These can be created by anyone in a matter of seconds and, when shared without consent, are a gross violation of personal autonomy.”
Deepfakes – digitally manipulated videos or images that can falsely portray individuals in sexual situations – have transitioned from being a concern primarily for public figures to an everyday risk for ordinary New Zealanders. McClure noted that schools are already reporting cases involving students and educators, underlining the urgency of legislative action.
“What started as a problem for celebrities can now happen to anyone,” she said. “Teachers and school leaders have told me this technology is already doing real harm to young people.”
The Deepfake Digital Harm and Exploitation Bill seeks to expand current laws addressing revenge pornography and harmful digital communications. Specifically, it proposes amendments to the Crimes Act 1961 and the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015, redefining “intimate visual recordings” to include AI-generated or altered images and videos that depict individuals in intimate scenarios without their consent.
If passed, the bill would make it a criminal offense to produce or distribute such content and provide victims with clearer legal pathways to have the material removed and to seek justice.
McClure plans to submit the bill into parliament’s member’s ballot this week and is calling on the minister of justice to fast-track the proposal by adopting it as a government bill.
“Technology can be used for both good and bad. ACT's approach is to target harmful behaviour – not the tech itself. That’s how we keep Kiwis safe and empowered in the social media era,” she said.
The proposed legislation represents a proactive effort to ensure New Zealand’s legal framework keeps pace with emerging threats in the digital age.
This article was originally published on the author’s Substack.
