Norfolk Tory MP told fake video is not a crime
An AI video of George Freeman, MP for Mid Norfolk, was passed on to police
A Conservative Norfolk MP has been told a fake online video that depicted him joining Reform is not a crime after the former tech minister reported it to the police.
Norfolk Constabulary launched a probe after George Freeman, MP for Mid Norfolk, passed on the AI-generated footage that showed him appearing to defect to Nigel Farage’s party.
Initially, officers said the incident was officially recorded as a criminal investigation and it was treated as a potential ‘false communications’ offence under the Online Safety Act 2023.
The act is a series of new laws that aims to protect adults and children online and states “sending false information intended to cause non-trivial harm” could be considered a criminal offence.
However, following an investigation, officers have ruled it does not meet the criteria for a crime.
A spokeswoman for the force said: “A crime was initially recorded in accordance with ethical crime recording standards.
“These standards require that when a report is made to police, the alleged offence is recorded and subsequently investigated to determine whether the legal threshold for a crime has been met.
“Following inquiries, it has been established that the circumstances do not meet the legal criteria for a crime to have occurred under this section of the Online Safety Act.”
Mr Freeman was left furious after the video was widely shared online.
The former tech minister was forced to issue a disclaimer denouncing it, stating the incident was “highly damaging for our democracy”.
He also speculated it may have been created by someone “for their own political purposes”.
When the video emerged last month, Mr Freeman said: “The video is a fabrication, created without my knowledge or consent, and uses my image and voice without permission. Regardless of my position as an MP – that should be an offence.”
But the anonymous creator denied supporting Reform, stating they believed “populism is always dangerous,” instead saying the video was created to show how “people are incapable of distinguishing fact from fiction”.
Mr Freeman has previously been wary of the use of AI and as minister, opposed tech companies being granted free access to text and data mining.
The MP has been approached for comment.