Deepfake Sexual Abuse Increasingly Targets Ordinary People Beyond Celebrities
New research reveals widespread non-consensual AI image abuse affecting diverse demographics globally.
1Rise of Non-Consensual Deepfakes
AI-generated sexual abuse has evolved from targeting celebrities to impacting ordinary citizens. Recent research involving 7,230 adults across Australia, the UK, and the US shows that 7% of respondents have been victims of non-consensual deepfakes. These tools, including nudify apps, require minimal technical skill, making almost anyone a potential target for abuse.
2Demographic Vulnerability and Prevalence
Victimization rates are notably higher among people under 35, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and people of color. Reports from children involving altered intimate images have more than doubled in the 18 months leading to June 2025. Four out of five of these reports involve girls, highlighting a significant gendered dimension to this digital threat.
3Motivations Behind Digital Abuse
Perpetrators often cite motivations beyond revenge, including humor, technological experimentation, or social bonding. Approximately 3.2% of surveyed adults admitted to creating or sharing such images without consent. These findings suggest that deepfakes are increasingly integrated into peer cultures where sexualized content is used for mockery, humiliation, or misguided social status.
4Psychological Impact on Victims
Victim-survivors report profound feelings of anger, humiliation, shame, and fear. While men were more likely to report victimization, women experienced a broader range of negative emotional and social harms. The distress often stems from a loss of control over sexual representation and the persistent fear that images will be perceived as authentic.
5The Whack-a-Mole Reporting Cycle
Victims face an exhausting cycle of locating and reporting images, only for them to reappear elsewhere online. Many report being disbelieved by authorities, friends, and family because the content is considered not real. This skepticism minimizes the trauma, leaving victims feeling isolated and unsupported in their efforts to remove the harmful material.
6Corporate Responsibility and Safeguards
Prevention cannot rely solely on individuals; technology companies must implement robust safeguards. This includes building protections into AI tools to prevent the generation of abusive images and ensuring rapid removal processes. The burden of policing the internet should not fall on victims who are already struggling with the psychological impact of the abuse.
7Legislative Steps and Accountability
Australia’s proposed digital duty of care requires online services to take reasonable steps to ensure user safety. This legislation grants the eSafety Commissioner powers to target nudify apps and websites. Furthermore, criminalizing the development and supply of these tools, as seen in the UK, remains a critical step for broader legal accountability.
8Future Educational Interventions
Addressing this issue requires consent-based education that challenges the normalization of sexualized imagery. Interventions must focus on fostering healthy relationships and dismantling gendered norms that excuse harassment as harmless fun. Moving forward, society must prioritize systemic accountability and digital literacy to protect individuals from the escalating threat of AI-generated sexual violence.