A Scottish Parliament committee has opened an inquiry into AI-generated intimate image abuse and deepfake pornography. It will examine the impact on victims, whether existing laws and powers are adequate, and how offences are reported, investigated and prosecuted.
Watch Desk analysis
What happened
The Criminal Justice Committee is seeking evidence from people directly affected, as well as organisations, academics and practitioners. Committee convener David Linden MSP said it wants victims’ experiences to inform the work.
The inquiry is deliberately focused on intimate image abuse and the criminal justice response, rather than a broader examination of AI, social media regulation or online harms. The committee says it will consider how non-consensual creation, sharing and use of images can cause harm, including when AI is involved.
Why it matters
The inquiry puts a useful distinction on the table: AI can create new ways to make and distribute intimate images, but the abuse also involves non-consensual acts that do not depend on AI. That matters when lawmakers assess what the technology changes, and what existing protections already need to address.
The committee will look at the practical chain from reporting to prosecution, not just whether a law exists on paper. Its findings could help clarify where victims encounter gaps and what more may be needed. The inquiry is a review, not a change to the law; no recommendations have been announced.
Our read
This is a focused opportunity to test whether the criminal justice system can respond effectively to a harm that technology can make easier to produce and spread. Keeping the inquiry centred on victims and the handling of offences is more useful than treating “AI harms” as one enormous, conveniently vague category.
The committee is asking for evidence, so the quality of what it hears will matter. People affected should not have to become policy experts to make their experiences count.
What to watch
- What evidence the committee receives from people directly affected.
- Whether it identifies gaps in existing laws, reporting routes or investigative powers.
- What recommendations follow, and whether they lead to changes in practice or legislation.
Discussion spark: When lawmakers assess AI-generated intimate image abuse, should the priority be new offences for AI-enabled conduct, or making existing protections work better for victims?
Sources and evidence
- Source update (30 October 2026, 10:07 UTC)
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