Advocacy organizations focusing on the rights of women and children are raising concerns about a surge in sexual deepfake content circulating on the social media platform X, underscoring the necessity for the Canadian government to establish an online regulatory body. Lloyd Richardson, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection’s technology director, emphasized the urgency for regulatory measures to effectively address such issues as they arise.
Both Richardson and Rosel Kim, a senior staff lawyer at the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund, are advocating for the establishment of a new regulatory entity similar to the one proposed by the Liberal government in 2024. Kim proposed that an expert regulatory body equipped with enforcement powers could combat technology-driven gender-based violence through legal interventions, support services, research, and educational initiatives.
The recent proliferation of sexualized deepfake content on Elon Musk’s platform X, generated by the Grok chatbot, has sparked global outrage, primarily targeting women and, in some instances, children. While the technology for creating such content is not novel, X made it easily accessible by allowing users to manipulate images directly on the platform, a feature now restricted to paid users.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the facilitation of deepfakes as “unacceptable behavior” and warned that Europe would take action if Silicon Valley fails to act. Malaysia and Indonesia have already announced plans to block access to Grok, with a potential ban looming in the U.K.
Canadian AI Minister Evan Solomon indicated that Canada is not currently considering a ban on Grok. Musk praised this decision on X, sharing a post highlighting the announcement alongside a Canadian flag and a heart emoji.
The Liberal government previously introduced the Online Harms Act in 2024, aiming to expedite the removal of content that sexually exploits children or survivors, including deepfakes. The legislation also proposed the establishment of a digital safety commission and the appointment of an ombudsperson to support social media users, although it did not become law before the 2025 election.
Regarding the introduction of a bill to criminalize sexual deepfakes, advocates argue that more comprehensive measures are needed to address the issue effectively. Discussions are underway among allied governments and Canadian departments to address this growing concern.
Women and gender-diverse individuals disproportionately bear the brunt of deepfake targeting, leading to self-censorship and limited online participation. The absence of specific support services in Canada for those experiencing online harm highlights a significant gap in legislation and social services that necessitates urgent attention from the government.