Lowestoft MP speaks alongside other women on deepfake images
Jess Asato is campaigning to bring about legislative changes in protecting against deepfake technology abuse
Last updated 13 hours ago
Jess Asato, who is the Member of Parliament for Labour in Lowestoft, has opened up to us about her experience - as part of our new Deepfaked podcast exploring the impact of image abuse online.
Jess is renowned for advocating against violence directed towards women and girls, and has driven changes in law to create better protections already.
"Designed to silence women"
It was in January, that she became a target of deepfake image abuse when her publicly accessible social media profile photo was altered through AI. The manipulated image depicted her in a bikini. Another displayed a disturbing scenario that made her feel unsafe.
Although these were not sexually explicit - which they have been for some of the other women we've been speaking to about this, during the podcast - Jess's body was altered without her consent, highlighting an alarming trend which she says is intending to silence women in online spaces.
“Images of me heavily pregnant were circulated to imply that despite being an elected official, I hold no value beyond stereotypical roles assigned to women — breeding and domestic duties,” Jess said during the discussion.
You can watch the podcast discussion here.
She reflected on the wider ramifications of digital manipulation that particularly targets women: "It is the opposite of freedom of speech, designed to silence women and push them out of online spaces."
Jess, who played a pivotal role in securing governmental commitment to banning nudification apps, pleaded for better protections to come intro force.
She noted the victory earlier this year; of creating a sexually explicit deepfake without consent an illegal act of its own, and the new law that equipts tech platforms with the responsibility to rapidly remove manipulative content shared without permission.
The law on deepfakes
The legal landscape surrounding deepfake image abuse has significantly strengthened.
In February this year, the act of creating sexually explicit deepfakes without consent was made illegal. Meaning the law now recognises creating, sharing and threatening to share these types of images as a criminal offence.
It is punishable through unlimited fines, a criminal record, or time behind bars.
Tech platforms are also responsible for removing any illegal deepfake content or intimate images shared without consent, and under new rules, have to do so within 48 hours.
A ban on ‘nudification’ tools is also underway, that would be criminalising those who design and supply these sorts of apps and sites.
Looking ahead, the Government's aiming to produce a framework for industries to better assess deepfake content on their platforms.
"this violation will continue unabated"
Jess called for enhanced measures to further regulate this abuse internationally, advocating for extra territorial application, ensuring digital manipulation tools used outside the UK can still be challenged if they affect UK residents.
You can read more about the other women involved in the roundtable, including Narinder Kaur, here.
Jess concluded by pointing out the need for broader societal involvement in tackling abuse driven by digital manipulation, drawing parallels with misogyny perpetuated offline.
She stressed that progress hinges not only on legal measures but also on reshaping cultural norms and values.
Asato commended Denmark's initiative to give individuals copyrights over their digital images, urging the UK to consider similar measures. She reflected, “Until we can regain control of our identities online, this violation will continue unabated.”
Her remarks come alongside a collective call for action from fellow panel participants, all of whom wish to see educational and systemic changes to combat online image abuse.
Jess Asato has filed a claim at the High Court, suing xAI over the design of its Grok chatbot tool which was used to create the fake images of her in a bikini. She says seeking damages is a bid to get accountability for the design choices that allowed Grok to create such images.
She added how she also wants to set a precedent for companies to be liable for the design of AI systems and create “better guardrails” for tech companies in future.
The Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer said he is “100%” behind her.
We have approached xAI for comment.
If you, or someone you know has been deepfaked
If you've been impacted by deepfakes or online image abuse, you can get support and advice from:
The Cyber Helpline who offer advice to victims of online harm.
The Revenge Porn Helpline supports all adult victims of intimate image abuse in the UK.
And the Police have advice about the next steps you can take if you've been a victim.