Eastwood, Sydney: Deepfakes of female high school students prompt probe

The sharing of sexually explicit deepfakes of female students at a Sydney high school is being investigated by police.

The NSW Education Department has confirmed reports, first revealed by the ABC, that high school students in the Eastwood area in northwest Sydney were sent the disturbing images of their peers.

“The school is working closely with police on this matter,” a spokesperson told AAP.

“If any student is found to have engaged in this behaviour, the school will be taking strong disciplinary action.

“Deepfakes present significant new risks to the wellbeing and privacy of students.”

Officers in Sydney’s Ryde area have launched an investigation, police said.

NSW passed laws in September expanding existing offences for the production and distribution of intimate images without consent.

Premier Chris Minns said there was zero tolerance for gender-based abuse in the state including the use of artificial intelligence to manipulate images.

“This legislation sends a clear message: those who seek to target women using this technology now face serious consequences,” he said.

Deepfakes refer to digitally altered images of a person’s face or body and young women and girls are often targeted in a sexual manner.

Sharing of explicit deepfake images of underage Australians has doubled since 2023, data from the eSafety Commissioner in June showed.

Almost all the deepfake AI images circulating were pornographic, with 98 per cent being of women, Attorney-General Michael Daley noted in August when the legislation was first introduced.

Those dabbling in deepfakes in NSW by stealing a person’s real identity could face up to three years in jail or $11,000 in fines.

Sharing or extortion by threatening to share such damaging content online known as revenge porn, even if the person hasn’t created them, can also result in up to three years behind bars.