header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
06 March 2026 / Jon Belcher
Issue: 8152 / Categories: Features , Artificial intelligence , Technology , Online safety , Data protection , Regulatory , Abuse , Social Media
printer mail-detail

Deepfakes & data misuse

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
243958

Data protection law already provides the tools to tackle intimate image abuse: it is time for those in power to act, says Jon Belcher
  • AI-generated deepfakes of real people amount to personal data processing, bringing them squarely within the scope of UK data protection law.
  • The Information Commissioner’s Office already has the powers to act against platforms enabling non-consensual image abuse—the issue is enforcement, not a lack of legislation.

Recent controversy about deepfake images generated by artificial intelligence (AI) has created the perception of a lack of legal protections for individuals, and led to a wider debate about how we regulate the ever-growing AI industry.

In fact, there are relevant laws already in place, but these have not yet proved effective to protect individuals. The UK’s data protection legislation could be used to tackle the issue, if the regulator and the courts were prepared to take decisive action.

Grok & the deepfake factories

Since purchasing the social media platform Twitter in 2022, which he

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
Zylpha LogoClick to know more
NLJ Career Profile: Maryam Syed KC, Church Court Chambers

NLJ Career Profile: Maryam Syed KC, Church Court Chambers

From childhood dreams of the Bar to some of the country's most challenging cases, Maryam Syed KC explains why she has never stopped standing up for others

DAC Beachcroft—Richard Breavington, Rachel Ford & Daniel Guilfoyle

DAC Beachcroft—Richard Breavington, Rachel Ford & Daniel Guilfoyle

DAC Beachcroft significantly expands Cyber team, hiring three Cyber partners

Browne Jacobson—Professor Clive Kay

Browne Jacobson—Professor Clive Kay

Browne Jacobson appoints senior healthcare leader Professor Clive Kay as strategic adviser

NEWS
Read All
NLJ this week: Reframing family dispute resolution
As family justice moves further away from the courtroom, collaborative law is emerging as an increasingly important route to resolving separation disputes
NLJ this week: Employment law updates on restraints, representation & tribunal boundaries
A busy period for employment law is producing important lessons for employers, employees and tribunals alike
NLJ this week Civil way: Practical procedure lessons & cautionary tales
From forgotten interest claims to case-management appeals, a string of procedural developments offers useful—and occasionally cautionary—lessons for practitioners
NLJ this week: Fraud in the digital age

Jonathan Fisher KC highlights that it now accounts for around 40% of criminal offences, with roughly 70% involving technology, and argues that the UK cannot simply prosecute its way out of the problem. Detection, investigation and prosecution all require improvement, while different fraud types demand tailored responses.

NLJ this week: Right outcome, troubling reasoning?
How forcefully can a litigant criticise a public authority before robust advocacy crosses the line into unreasonable conduct? 
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll