Britain to Make Sexually Explicit Deepfakes a Crime

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The British government announced on Tuesday that creating and sharing sexually explicit “deepfakes” will soon become a criminal offence in an effort to combat the growing problem of digitally manipulated images, often targeting women and girls. Deepfakes are AI-generated images, videos, or audio clips that convincingly alter a person’s likeness, commonly used to create pornographic content without consent.

While the UK has criminalized the publication of intimate images without consent under the “revenge porn” law since 2015, the new legislation specifically addresses the use of fake images, which were previously not covered. Data from the UK-based Revenge Porn Helpline revealed a staggering 400% increase in image-based abuse involving deepfakes since 2017.

The new law will make it a criminal offence to both create and distribute sexually explicit deepfakes. Offenders could face prosecution and penalties, with the justice ministry emphasizing that there is “no excuse” for creating such content without consent. This follows earlier proposals by the previous Conservative government, which also aimed to criminalize deepfake pornography, with offenders potentially facing fines or jail time.

In addition to the deepfake legislation, the government will introduce new offences related to taking intimate images without consent and installing equipment with the intent to create such content. Those found guilty could face up to two years in prison.

Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones described this type of abuse as “demeaning and disgusting,” adding that it should not be normalized. Technology Minister Margaret Jones highlighted that tech platforms hosting such images will face stricter scrutiny and significant penalties. Campaigner Jess Davies emphasized that this form of abuse is causing “significant, long-lasting harm” to women and girls, resulting in a loss of control over their digital lives.

These new offences will be included in the government’s Crime and Policing Bill, which is expected to be introduced to parliament, though a date for its presentation has not yet been set.

 

Yellen Raises Concerns About China’s Cyber Activity in Meeting with Vice Premier He Lifeng

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen held a virtual meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Monday, during which she raised serious concerns about “malicious cyber activity” attributed to Chinese state-sponsored actors, according to a Treasury Department statement. This follows the Treasury’s announcement last month of a significant breach involving Chinese hackers who compromised several of its computers after a security incident at its contractor, BeyondTrust, which provides cybersecurity services.

The breach is part of an ongoing series of cyberattacks on U.S. government agencies that have been blamed on Chinese state-sponsored hackers. Although a briefing on the breach has been requested by Congressional aides, no date has been set.

Despite the escalating cyber tensions, the Biden administration has made efforts to improve communication and manage the competitive dynamics between the U.S. and China, including the establishment of economic and financial working groups. During her discussion with He, Yellen expressed her grave concerns over the cyber activities and its negative impact on the bilateral relationship, describing the conversation as candid and constructive.

Additionally, the two officials reviewed economic developments in both countries and discussed progress in the working groups. Yellen reiterated her long-standing concerns regarding China’s non-market practices, policies, and industrial overcapacity, highlighting that these issues would continue to strain the U.S.-China economic relationship unless properly addressed.

During her visit to Beijing in April, Yellen similarly warned He about the need to manage industrial capacity to avoid worsening trade tensions. She also warned of the “significant consequences” Chinese companies would face if they supported Russia’s war against Ukraine.

With President-elect Donald Trump set to assume office on January 20, he has threatened to impose higher tariffs on Chinese imports, including a 60% tax, which would be a significant escalation from tariffs introduced during his first term.

Indonesia and Apple Discuss Investment Proposal Amid iPhone 16 Sales Ban

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Indonesia’s Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita met with Apple executives on Tuesday to discuss the company’s potential investment in the country, which is necessary for Apple to resume the sale of the iPhone 16 locally. The Indonesian government imposed a sales ban on the iPhone 16 last year after it did not meet the local content requirement, mandating that smartphones sold in the country contain at least 40% locally-made parts.

Apple does not currently have manufacturing facilities in Indonesia, which has a population of 280 million, but the company has been operating application developer academies in the country since 2018, allowing it to sell older iPhone models.

Minister Kartasasmita confirmed he met with Apple’s vice president of global government affairs, Nick Ammann, and other executives to discuss Apple’s new investment proposal. While the minister did not specify a timeline for a deal, he emphasized that the substance of the agreement was a key focus.

Apple had reportedly offered to invest $1 billion in a local manufacturing plant to meet the regulations, but Kartasasmita suggested that amount might not be sufficient. He declined to confirm the details of Apple’s proposal, but stressed that a new investment commitment is needed for 2024-2026 to fulfill Indonesia’s local content mandate.

In the past, Indonesia has pointed out that Apple still has an outstanding $10 million investment commitment from a previous three-year plan that ended in 2023.

Ammann described the meeting as productive but did not provide further details on the discussions.