Asked by: Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to bring the sharing of non-consensual AI-generated intimate images by chatbots into scope of the image-based abuse offences under section 66D of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Answered by Baroness Levitt
Section 66D of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 provides information on how to interpret the “sharing or threatening to share intimate photograph or film” offences in section 66B. Section 66D(2) states, “A person “shares” something if the person, by any means, gives or shows it to another person or makes it available to another person.”
“By any means” would include the sharing of such images without consent using digital tools such as a chatbot, app or other software, if a person has requested or prompted the digital tool to do so, whether as part of the creation of the image or as a separate act.
Section 98 and Section 102 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 will be commenced by regulations as soon as reasonably practicable. We must ensure that there is sufficient time to consider and manage the impact on the criminal justice system and for law enforcement to update guidance as well as train prosecutors and police officers.
Asked by: Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government when section 98 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 pertaining to offences relating to semen-defaced images, intimate photographs or films and voyeurism will commence.
Answered by Baroness Levitt
Section 66D of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 provides information on how to interpret the “sharing or threatening to share intimate photograph or film” offences in section 66B. Section 66D(2) states, “A person “shares” something if the person, by any means, gives or shows it to another person or makes it available to another person.”
“By any means” would include the sharing of such images without consent using digital tools such as a chatbot, app or other software, if a person has requested or prompted the digital tool to do so, whether as part of the creation of the image or as a separate act.
Section 98 and Section 102 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 will be commenced by regulations as soon as reasonably practicable. We must ensure that there is sufficient time to consider and manage the impact on the criminal justice system and for law enforcement to update guidance as well as train prosecutors and police officers.
Asked by: Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government when section 102 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 pertaining to image deletion orders will commence.
Answered by Baroness Levitt
Section 66D of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 provides information on how to interpret the “sharing or threatening to share intimate photograph or film” offences in section 66B. Section 66D(2) states, “A person “shares” something if the person, by any means, gives or shows it to another person or makes it available to another person.”
“By any means” would include the sharing of such images without consent using digital tools such as a chatbot, app or other software, if a person has requested or prompted the digital tool to do so, whether as part of the creation of the image or as a separate act.
Section 98 and Section 102 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 will be commenced by regulations as soon as reasonably practicable. We must ensure that there is sufficient time to consider and manage the impact on the criminal justice system and for law enforcement to update guidance as well as train prosecutors and police officers.
Asked by: Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government when section 100 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 pertaining to the 48-hour take-down requirement for intimate image content will commence.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Section 100 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026, which introduces a new requirement relating to the removal of reported non-consensual intimate images, commenced on 29 June 2026. The Online Safety Act 2023 provides for Ofcom to prepare and issue codes of practice setting out recommended measures for compliance with relevant duties.
The duty will apply to platforms once the relevant codes have completed the statutory process and come into force. The Government is clear this should happen as soon as possible and is working closely with Ofcom on implementation.
Asked by: Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to bring the requests for and creation of non-consensual intimate images from a chatbot into the scope of the image-based abuse offences under sections 66E and 66F of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Answered by Baroness Levitt
Section 66E of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 provides for the offence of creating a purported (or ‘deepfake’) intimate image of an adult without their consent or reasonable belief in their consent.
The offence applies regardless of the tool used to create the purported intimate image, so includes the creation of such images without consent using digital tools such as a “chatbot”, a nudification app, or image manipulation software.