Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Comment
Van Badham

In a world where techlords rule us by whim, Australia’s stance against deepfakes is reason to celebrate

Man typing at his laptop computer at night
‘Every day, the news presents organised humanity with digital challenges we can ignore … or apply the cream now to do something about,’ Van Badham writes. Photograph: Westend61/Getty Images

A man who posted non-consensual, pornified “deepfake” images of Australian women has been ordered to pay $343,500 in civil penalties for doing so by a federal court. Everyone, everywhere, should be thrilled by this decision.

What Anthony Rotondo did by uploading these images was perpetrate “image-based abuse” against his victims. It’s a wanton, wilful act of cruelty intended to harm and humiliate its targets, and it is against Australian law.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.