Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to support the removal of sexualised deepfake content from X.

Sexually manipulated images of women and children are despicable and abhorrent. The government is clear that no one should have to go through the ordeal of seeing intimate images of themselves online. There are no excuses not to act, and services must deal with this urgently.

Sharing, or threatening to share a deepfake intimate image without consent is a criminal offence. The government has made it a priority offence under the Online Safety Act, meaning services need to take proactive steps to tackle this content. Ofcom has robust enforcement powers to use where providers are not complying with their duties.

This week we havesigned the commencement order to urgently bring powers to criminalise the creation of intimate images without consent into force.

Ofcom has confirmed that they have opened a formal investigation into X and have the government’s full backing to take necessary enforcement action.