Artificial intelligence porn victims find Hong Kong ill-prepared to address the looming threat
A shocking AI porn scandal at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has sparked a heated debate about the fast-growing threat of AI-made pornography. Hundreds of images of at least 20 women were discovered on a student's laptop at the university, leading to public backlash for the three students involved.
One of the students, a 20-year-old woman named C, bravely exposed the scandal last month. However, she has faced criticism for ruining the perpetrator's future and was even told to apologize by some commenters. Another woman, named B, felt betrayed as the perpetrator was a friend, while the third woman, named A, was told the case couldn't be heard before a disciplinary committee.
Susanne Choi from the Chinese University of Hong Kong has stated that 90 percent of AI-made porn victims are women, suggesting it is a form of gender-based sexual violence. She, along with lawmakers, is calling for Hong Kong's legislation to be revised to better cope with technology-facilitated sexual harassment, including deepfake pornography.
Currently, Hong Kong criminalizes the distribution of intimate images, including AI-made ones, but not their creation or possession. This complicates legal action when such images are not circulated publicly.
To address this issue, key legislative revisions might include expanding the Sexual Discrimination Ordinance (SDO) or related statutes to explicitly cover technology-facilitated sexual harassment, such as deepfake pornography and AI-generated non-consensual sexual images. Criminalizing the creation and possession of non-consensual intimate AI-generated images would also be necessary, aligning with emerging international trends.
Additionally, increasing penalties and enforcement mechanisms, enhancing the capacity of law enforcement and judiciary, updating privacy and cyber laws, and encouraging comprehensive guidelines and education for organizations and the public on the harms of technology-facilitated sexual harassment, including from deepfake AI, are all crucial steps in closing current legal gaps and providing stronger protections against the unique challenges posed by AI and deepfake technologies in sexual harassment cases.
The Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission and Privacy Commissioner’s initiatives signal openness to such reforms. In summary, Hong Kong should strengthen laws by criminalizing the creation and possession of deepfake pornography, enhancing enforcement, and expanding anti-sexual harassment frameworks to specifically address technology-facilitated harms that disproportionately affect women.
This multifaceted revision would not only close current legal gaps but also provide clearer grounds for prosecution and offer stronger protections against the unique challenges posed by AI and deepfake technologies in sexual harassment cases in Hong Kong.
- The shocking AI porn scandal at HKU has sparked a societal debate about the fast-growing threat of AI-made pornography and the need for legislation against technology-facilitated sexual harassment, such as deepfake pornography and AI-generated non-consensual sexual images.
- The current legislation in Hong Kong criminalizes the distribution of intimate images, including AI-made ones, but not their creation or possession, complicating legal action when such images are not circulated publicly.
- To address this issue, key revisions to the existing laws might include expanding the Sexual Discrimination Ordinance (SDO) or related statutes to explicitly cover technology-facilitated sexual harassment and criminalizing the creation and possession of non-consensual intimate AI-generated images.
- Increasing penalties and enforcement mechanisms, enhancing the capacity of law enforcement and judiciary, updating privacy and cyber laws, and encouraging comprehensive guidelines and education for organizations and the public on the harms of technology-facilitated sexual harassment, including from deepfake AI, are all crucial steps to provide stronger protections against the unique challenges posed by AI and deepfake technologies in sexual harassment cases.
