Source: South China Morning Post

The South China Morning Post reports on the growing debate in Hong Kong over the need for new legislation to address the rise of AI-generated pornography. Legal experts and women's rights advocates are calling for legal reforms to fill existing loopholes that make it difficult to prosecute individuals who create and distribute non-consensual deepfake explicit images. Current laws, such as those related to obscenity and publishing intimate images without consent, are often inadequate as they were not designed to cover computer-generated content where no actual act took place. The article highlights the significant emotional and psychological harm inflicted upon victims, who are often targeted without their knowledge.

The discussion explores various potential legal avenues, including amending existing ordinances or creating entirely new laws specifically targeting deepfakes and other forms of AI-generated abusive content. Experts suggest that any new legislation should criminalize the creation, possession, and distribution of such material without consent. The challenge lies in crafting laws that are precise enough to be effective without stifling legitimate artistic expression or technological innovation. The article also touches upon the difficulties in tracing the creators of such content and the cross-jurisdictional nature of the internet, which complicates enforcement efforts, emphasizing the urgency for Hong Kong to modernize its legal framework to protect its citizens in the digital age.