Australia to Ban Nude Deepfake Apps Under Landmark Laws

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Australia is set to crack down on the disturbing rise of deepfake porn, with landmark new laws being introduced to federal parliament.

The government says it will ban “nudification” apps — those AI tools that create fake nude images — and target online stalking technologies at the same time.

For anyone unfamiliar, deepfakes are images or videos manipulated with AI to make it look like someone is doing something they never actually did, often in a sexual way. And the numbers are shocking: around 98% of deepfakes online are pornographic, with most of the victims being women.

Communications Minister Anika Wells says there’s no place for this kind of tech in Australia.

“There is a place for AI and legitimate tracking technology,” she said, “but there is no place for apps and technologies that are used solely to abuse, humiliate and harm people, especially our children.”

Under the new laws, big tech companies will be held responsible for preventing access to these apps once the ban comes into effect. Wells said the reforms are a crucial step in protecting children online, especially following the decision earlier this year to ban social media for Australians under 16.

The urgency is real. eSafety research found 3% of children reported having a fake nude image made of them without consent.

At the same time, political leaders, child safety experts, and advocates met in Canberra today to talk about stronger protections in the AI era. The roundtable, hosted by the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) Australia, called for new measures like AI training for police, a review of facial recognition tools, and a national awareness campaign about AI-enabled harms.

“We recognise AI as both a sword and a shield in the child protection landscape,” ICMEC Australia CEO Colm Gannon explained. “AI can help safeguard children faster, but Australia needs a clear roadmap to harness the good and shut down the harm.”

The move comes just weeks after NSW passed its own laws making sexually explicit deepfakes illegal.

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