Lara Zijl 
By Imogen King, Political Science and International Affairs Analyst
A sharp rise in deepfake-related crimes across multiple continents has triggered widespread alarm among governments, tech regulators, and civil society groups. From fabricated political speeches to non-consensual synthetic pornography and fraudulent financial scams, the misuse of artificial intelligence-generated media is evolving at a pace that outstrips current legal frameworks.
In early 2025, several high-profile incidents highlighted the scale of the threat. In South Korea, a wave of deepfake porn targeting women—particularly students and public figures—spurred mass protests and forced the government to declare a national emergency on digital sexual violence. Authorities reported over 8,000 deepfake videos circulating on encrypted messaging platforms in just three months, many created using publicly available photos and AI tools accessible online.
Across the Pacific, the United States Federal Trade Commission confirmed a 320% increase in consumer complaints related to AI-generated voice and video fraud since 2023. Scammers are now using cloned voices of family members or executives to manipulate victims into transferring money or revealing sensitive information. One recent case in Texas involved a school administrator who authorised a $1.5 million transfer after receiving a fraudulent video call appearing to feature the district’s superintendent.
In the European Union, policymakers are fast-tracking amendments to the AI Act to specifically criminalise the creation and distribution of non-consensual deepfakes. The proposed legislation includes mandatory watermarking for all synthetic media and stricter oversight of generative AI platforms. Meanwhile, India has introduced new cybercrime units dedicated solely to digital forgery, with penalties including up to seven years in prison for malicious deepfake production.
What makes the issue particularly complex is the global nature of the technology. Many AI tools used to generate deepfakes are hosted on offshore servers, operate under lax regulatory regimes, or are open-source, making enforcement difficult. Platforms like Telegram, Discord, and certain dark web forums have become hotspots for sharing such content, often beyond the reach of national law enforcement.
Imogen King, NZB News analyst in international affairs, notes that the crisis is testing the limits of digital sovereignty. “We’re seeing a transnational challenge that requires coordinated legal, technical, and ethical responses. No single country can tackle this alone,” she said. “The absence of a unified global standard allows bad actors to exploit jurisdictional gaps.”
New Zealand, while not immune, has so far reported fewer incidents compared to larger nations. However, the Ministry of Justice and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner have issued warnings about emerging risks, particularly in political discourse ahead of the 2026 general election. There are growing calls for updates to the Harmful Digital Communications Act to explicitly include AI-generated impersonations.
Tech companies are also under pressure. Meta, Google, and Microsoft have introduced detection tools and content labelling systems, but experts argue these measures remain inconsistent. Startups specialising in deepfake detection, such as New Zealand-based AuthenTech, are gaining attention, though scalability and accuracy remain challenges.
Public awareness campaigns in countries like Japan and Canada have shown promise, educating citizens on how to spot manipulated media. Digital literacy is increasingly seen as a frontline defence.
As AI generation tools become more sophisticated and accessible, the line between real and fabricated content continues to blur. Governments, tech firms, and civil institutions are now racing to establish guardrails before the technology undermines trust in media, democracy, and personal identity.
Excerpt: The global surge in deepfake crimes is exposing critical gaps in digital regulation, prompting urgent calls for international cooperation, stronger legal frameworks, and public education to combat the erosion of truth in the digital age.
