Federal move to criminalize non-consensual sexual deepfakes is long overdue, experts say
The Canadian government is moving to criminalize non-consensual sexual deepfakes as part of the Protecting Victims Act. This legislative effort comes after a Halifax man was acquitted for creating and distributing fake nude images of women, highlighting a gap in the current Criminal Code. Experts argue that the law must evolve to address technology-facilitated gender-based violence effectively.
- ▪The Protecting Victims Act aims to criminalize the non-consensual distribution of explicit deepfakes.
- ▪A Halifax man was acquitted for using AI to create and share fake nudes of five women, exposing a legal loophole.
- ▪Justice Minister Sean Fraser emphasized the need for legal updates to protect victims from emerging technological harms.
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| Original publisher | The Globe and Mail |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-federal-move-to-criminalize-non-consensual-sexual-deepfakes-is-long/ |
| Publication time | Thu, 21 May 2026 09:00:00 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-21T09:06:10.451Z |
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Open this photo in gallery:Justice Minister Sean Fraser's office said the Protecting Victims Act was introduced because victims, survivors and advocates have pushed for Canadian criminal law to keep pace with the ways technology is being used to exploit and harm vulnerable people.Jenny Kane/The Associated PressShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountAs a bill to criminalize non-consensual sexual deepfakes winds its way through Parliament, a Halifax man who used artificial intelligence to make and distribute fake nudes of five young women was acquitted – exploiting a gap in the Criminal Code that legal experts have long urged the government to address.The democratization of generative AI has led to a proliferation of pornographic deepfakes – images…
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