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Creating AI deepfakes of real people to be made illegal in Queensland

The Age

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Date Published
12 Apr 2026
Priority Score
2
Australian
Yes
Created
12 Apr 2026, 06:00 am

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Offenders would face up to three years under the proposed legislation, which could be passed in the middle of this year.

Summary

The Queensland government has proposed new legislation to criminalize the creation of sexually explicit AI deepfakes without consent, closing a loophole where only distribution was previously illegal. Offenders face up to three years in prison, reflecting an urgent local policy response to the weaponization of frontier AI image generation technologies. While the focus is on personal harm and cyberbullying rather than existential risk, the move demonstrates critical regional movement in governing the misuse of advanced AI capabilities. This development highlights Australia's intensifying efforts to establish legal safeguards against the rapid evolution of synthetic media.

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AdvertisementCreating sexually explicit deepfake AI images of real people without their consent will be outlawed in Queensland.Attorney General Deb Frecklington announced the plan for new legislation at Parliament House on Sunday.“This is for the people who have had their images weaponised against them, for the teachers who’ve been subjected to heinous cyberbullying, and for the victims across Queensland who have been told there is nothing that can be done,” she told reporters.Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington unveiled the new legislation on Sunday.Matt DennienIt is presently illegal to distribute such material, but there is no legislation prohibiting creation. Frecklington described the existing gap in legislation as a loophole.Advertisement“AI and the increase in the technology … we all need to make sure we’re keeping pace with it,” she said.Under the proposed law, offenders would face up to three years behind bars.The government will consult experts in the education, legal, sexual violence and online safety sectors from April. It aims to begin the legislative process midyear.Labor shadow minister Grace Grace said on Sunday the opposition “welcomed” the legislation and would consider its merits.“Because [of] the changes in technology, it is important that we review legislation and we’re always open to that,” she told reporters in East Brisbane.Advertisement“We will look at that in a very calm and methodical way, to ensure of course that laws are kept up to date.”Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.SaveYou have reached your maximum number of saved items.Remove items from your saved list to add more.ShareLicense this articleMore:Queensland governmentAICyber bullyingCrimeLNPALPDeb FrecklingtonGrace GraceWilliam Davis is a reporter at Brisbane Times.Connect via email.AdvertisementAdvertisement