MPs expand proposed deepfake law to include ‘nearly nude’ images

A House of Commons justice committee has amended proposed federal legislation targeting non-consensual sexual deepfakes to include images depicting people as “nearly nude,” following concerns the original wording may not have covered some AI-generated content circulating online.

The amendment to Bill C-16 was approved by MPs studying the legislation after witnesses raised concerns that the bill’s earlier definition of “intimate image” was too narrow. The original version focused on images showing a person nude, exposing sexual organs, or engaged in explicit sexual activity.

Committee members heard that some manipulated images generated earlier this year through Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot on the X platform – including altered photos depicting women in see-through swimwear – may not have met that legal threshold.

Conservative MP Andrew Lawton, who introduced the amendment, said the change was intended to ensure evolving AI technologies do not create loopholes in the law.

“We are seeing with the advancement of technology these very sophisticated and in some cases quite traumatizing assaults taking place,” Lawton told the committee. “It simply just ensures that a small technicality is not excluding something that I think this law intends to capture.”

Liberal MP Patricia Lattanzio, parliamentary secretary to Justice Minister Sean Fraser, supported the amendment, saying it clarifies the scope of the offence and responds to concerns raised by victims and legal experts. Bloc Québécois MP Rhéal Fortin opposed the wording, arguing the term “nearly nude” was not clearly defined.

MPs also approved a separate amendment adding explicit references to artificial intelligence software within the bill’s definition of “intimate image,” aimed at ensuring AI-generated content is covered under the proposed law.

The amendments reflect growing federal scrutiny of AI-generated sexual content and concerns that existing laws may not adequately address rapidly evolving deepfake technology.

Bill C-16 will continue through the parliamentary review process before returning to the House of Commons for further debate and votes.