Sydney: Australia has announced a major crackdown on abusive technologies by unveiling reforms that will ban apps used for stalking and generating deepfake nude images.
Under the plan, technology platforms will be made responsible for blocking access to ‘Nudify’ software and undetectable online tracking tools, as part of measures revealed by the Australian government.
Minister for Communications Anika Wells said that the reforms aim to work in partnership with technology companies to eliminate ‘abhorrent technologies’ that are widely accessible and already causing ‘real and irreparable damage.’ At the same time, the Minister stressed that the reforms will ensure ‘legitimate and consent-based’ artificial intelligence (AI) and online tracking services are not unfairly impacted.
“These new, evolving technologies require a new, proactive approach to harm prevention, and we’ll work closely with industry to achieve this,” Wells noted in a statement.
While acknowledging the reforms will not eradicate abusive technologies instantly, she emphasized that, combined with existing laws and Australia’s world-leading online safety framework, the measures will deliver a significant improvement in protecting Australians.
Concerns about AI-generated explicit content have intensified as platforms capable of producing photorealistic, non-consensual sexual images have proliferated. A survey conducted last year by US-based advocacy group Thorn among 1,200 young people found that 10 percent knew someone targeted with deepfake nude imagery, while 6 percent reported being victims themselves.
This move builds on a string of sweeping legal reforms introduced by Australia to combat online harm in recent years. Notably, the country introduced the world’s first ban on social media use by minors.
That law, set to take effect in Australia by the end of 2025, will require platforms to prevent users under 16 from creating or keeping accounts. Companies failing to take ‘reasonable steps’ to comply could face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32m).
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