Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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584. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he has considered expanding the scope of Coco’s Law to cover deepfakes and AI generated content more explicit given the rise in online image-based abuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31888/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The rate of development in Artificial Intelligence (AI) is unprecedented and a whole of Government approach is in place to address the AI challenges effectively and harness AI opportunities. My Department has engaged, and continues to engage, with counterparts across other Departments on digital matters, including AI.

The Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020 (also known as “Coco’s Law”) defines the term “intimate image” broadly in order to capture all of the potential means by which intimate images may be produced. This covers AI-generated materials and deepfakes. The term “intimate image” in the Act “means any visual representation (including any accompanying sound or document) made by any means including any photographic, film, video or digital representation”.

The 2020 Act also criminalises the distribution, publishing, or threats to distribute or publish such deepfakes. The Act contains both summary and indictable offences - including imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years and class A fines.

Anyone who becomes aware of intimate images being used in this way, whether they are deepfakes or not, should report it to An Garda Síochána or to Hotline.ie which works with all the major internet service providers in Ireland, as well as a network of international partners, and has been successfully getting illegal material online removed from various platforms for over 20 years.

Other Government Departments are also working to address the challenges presented by this issue.

The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employmeng established an independent AI Advisory Council to provide expert advice to the Government on artificial intelligence. The Advisory Council recently published a report entitled “Ireland’s AI Advisory Council Recommendations - Helping to Shape Ireland’s AI Future”, which includes advice on Deepfakes.

On 5 May last, my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation launched updated Guidelines on the use of AI (replacing the interim guidelines from January 2024).