Deepfake Porn

Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FIN/24/002207/P

Version Date: 08/08/2024

The Performance & Analysis Department have provided the following information.

1. Between 1st February 2024 and 30th June 2024, how many reports did your police force receive alleging the offence of sharing explicit images or videos that have been digitally manipulated to look like someone else without their consent, commonly known as ‘fake porn' or 'deepfake porn' (covered by the Online Safety Act 2023). Please include the number of alleged offences reported as well as the number of individuals i.e. if there were multiple reported offences against one individual.

The below figures are a result from searches on Niche for all occurrences with the home office codes 088/15 or 175/08, these relate to ‘section 66B’.

32 reports (2 of these reports are for 1 victim).

2.         Between 1st February 2024 and 30th June 2024, how many times did your police force charge someone under the Online Safety Act with the offence of sharing explicit images or videos that have been digitally manipulated to look like someone else without their consent, commonly known as ‘deepfake porn' although that term is not in the legislation.  Please include the number of charges as well as the number of individuals i.e. if one individual was charged with multiple offences.

For clarity and to help you locate the information, I am asking for charges under the following law, Section 66B, sexual offences Act:

66B
Sharing or threatening to share intimate photograph or film
(1)
A person (A) commits an offence if—
(a) A intentionally shares a photograph or film which shows, or appears to show, another person (B) in an intimate state,
(b) B does not consent to the sharing of the photograph or film, and
(c) A does not reasonably believe that B consents.

Nil return. Please note that these offences rely on digital forensic examinations to take place for digital devices used in the offences. Digital forensic examinations often take an extended period, so it is likely that any arrested persons have not been charged yet.