United KingdomMaking or Supplying a Generator of Purported Intimate Images
Crime and Policing Act 2026, c. 20, s. 99, inserting ss. 66I-66L into the Sexual Offences Act 2003
In force since .
An AI prohibited practices rule binding public and private bodies.
- Obligation class
- Prohibition
- Audit expectation
- none
As of .
What it requires
- Do not make or adapt a thing, or supply or offer to supply a thing, for use as a generator of purported intimate images, meaning a thing for creating, or facilitating the creation of, purported intimate images of a person.
- A thing includes a program, information in electronic form and a service, and you are treated as making, adapting, supplying or offering the thing for that use if a reasonable person, having regard to all the circumstances, would consider that you do.
- It is a defense to prove that you took all reasonable steps to prevent the thing being used for creating, or facilitating the creation of, purported intimate images of a person without the person's consent.
- A service provider that only provides access to a communication network, or transmits or temporarily stores information provided by a user in the ways section 66K describes, does not commit the offense, and a provider that stores a user's information keeps that protection only if it did not know the information was or contained a generator of purported intimate images and promptly removes it or disables access once it knows.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Private right of actionNo
Criminal exposure note
On summary conviction, imprisonment for a term not exceeding the general limit in a magistrates' court or a fine, or both; on conviction on indictment, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or a fine, or both (Sexual Offences Act 2003 s. 66I(5), as inserted by section 99).
What it makes you log
Logging duty
Sections 66I to 66L create an offense, defenses, provider protections and a rule on liability of bodies; none requires a person to keep or produce a log or record.
- Kind
- None
- As of
What this law does
Section 99 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 inserts sections 66I to 66L into the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and came into force on . A person commits an offense by making or adapting a thing, or supplying or offering to supply a thing, for use as a generator of purported intimate images. A generator of purported intimate images is a thing for creating, or facilitating the creation of, purported intimate images of a person.
A person makes, adapts, supplies or offers to supply a thing for that use if a reasonable person, having regard to all the circumstances, would consider that they do so.
A 'thing' includes a program, information in electronic form and a service, and 'purported intimate image' has the same meaning as in section 66E. It is a defense for the person to prove that they took all reasonable steps to prevent the thing being used for creating, or facilitating the creation of, purported intimate images of a person without the person's consent.
Section 66J adds defenses for acts done for the prevention, detection or investigation of crime or for criminal proceedings anywhere in the world, for members of the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service or GCHQ acting for the purposes of a function of that body, and for members, staff and assistants of Ofcom acting for the purposes of its online safety functions.
An internet service provider does not commit the offense by providing access to a communication network, or by transmitting information provided by a user, if it does not initiate the transmission, select the recipient or select or modify the information.
A provider that stores information provided by a user who is not acting under its authority or control is protected if, when the information was provided, it did not know that it was or contained a generator of purported intimate images, and it promptly removed the information or disabled access once it knew. Where a body commits the offense with the consent or connivance of a relevant person, such as a director, manager or secretary, that person also commits it.
On summary conviction the penalty is imprisonment for a term not exceeding the general limit in a magistrates' court or a fine, or both, and on conviction on indictment it is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or a fine, or both.
When LexLint raises it
When your app profile says your app generates content with AI or distributes a software product.