(NewsNation) — The United Kingdom is set to criminalize the creation of sexually explicit "deepfake" images under a new law to protect women, according to the Ministry of Justice.
"Those who create these horrific images without consent face a criminal record and an unlimited fine," the department announced Tuesday.
Government deepfake crackdown
Under the law, producing the images will be considered a criminal offense even if the creator has no intention to share them but just wants to "cause alarm, humiliation or distress" to the victim, the Ministry of Justice said in a statement.
Additionally, the department said anyone who shares out the images could face additional charges and a potentially harsher sentence.
The new offense announced Tuesday will be introduced through an amendment to a criminal justice bill working its way through parliament.
The Ministry of Justice noted that the U.K. had already moved to criminalize the sharing of intimate deepfake images in last year's Online Safety Act.
Protecting women and girls
The department said the new law is aimed at addressing a rise in a violence against women and girls.
Laura Farris, the minister for victims and safeguarding, emphasized that the creation of sexually explicit deepfake images is another way people "seek to degrade and dehumanize others — especially women."
"It has the capacity to cause catastrophic consequences if the material is shared more widely. This government will not tolerate it," Farris said in a statement. "This new (offense) sends a crystal clear message that making this material is immoral, often misogynistic, and a crime."