Yes, we need to reform state legislation. Current laws need to be more explicit to include AI, deepfakes and technology abuse and include anticipated hypothetical and actual scenarios. Not all of the following points relate to legislative change requirements, but need consideration:
- public education is required on how victims can seek assistance (which may also include counselling, coping mechanisms, resilience)
- education of consumers of deep fake images i.e. what is driving people to look at pornographic and child abuse material and what is their understanding of the harm created. What counselling or personal change support is available?
- requirement to label all deepfake images or visa versa i.e. labelling of genuine images (although this would be difficult to police). Identification and reporting could become a community responsibility
- can digital images ever be fully erased once they become public? i.e. a victim may never be free of the threat, especially children who may have a lifetime to live with the knowledge their image is "out there". Mental harm may restrict someone's future & their earning capacity. Penalties need to reflect this.
- compensation to victims directly from perpetrators (which may include access to their superannuation and other assets, time in community service, etc)
- use of AI to restrict the movements of perpetrators in the community (we don't need more people in jails) or to "digitally" mark them in a way that the general community can be aware of the crime (a form of public shaming which would be experienced by victims).
- perhaps the burden of proof in current legislation is too high?
- there has been a fantastic amount of information provided to the public regarding scammers, scam alerts, etc. I assume this will continue and include deepfake scams as well.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment, even when we are all still learning and may have unrealistic expectations about what can be achieved by Government. The more we can get citizens involved in resolving issues the better.

Are current laws suitable? As with any technology, policy or views, legislation need to continue to change and improve to keep up with the times. A review and improvement of the law to cover deepfakes is much needed.

Do we need to reform state legislation?
Yes, see above answer. Any means necessary is required to cover the harm caused by deepfakes and increasing use of similar technology in a maniacal manner.

Do you have a preferred solution for reform?
We focus a lot on the younger generation, which is great, however increasingly Gen Z and Gen Alpha are the ones who are technology literate and are empowered by technology to make informed decisions. It is the older generation - Gen X and Baby Boomers who equally deserve attention in how they interact with social media, and may not have the digital literacy to understand what is real and what is not. Younger people, especially the emerging generation, are curious and have a greater grasp of what is possible through technology. The older generation may easily accept what is out there as 'real', as seen by the increasing sharing of fake information, news and clickbait articles by older people especially on platforms like Facebook and Whatsapp. They also act as echo-chambers of misinformation where it is a case of "if my peers acknowledge and think this is real, it must be", but lack the literacy to tell what is real and what are deepfakes. In addition, and probably more concerning, is that deepfakes are increasingly used by right-wing or those with extremist views wanting to influence all sections of the population to harmful discourse, not just towards impressionable teens or kids. Targeting these cohorts should exist alongside young people.
Overall I think it is great that the government is addressing this and I look forward to seeing a more digital savvy Australia who can think more critically between actual facts and malicious 'truths'.

Are current laws suitable? No, there needs to be new and updated laws to cover and keep up with this type of technology, which can be detrimentally harmful to citizens.
Do we need to reform state legislation? Yes, although many laws that can come into effect regarding deep fakes, people need an easy and accessible way to manage harmful situations with deepfakes, in conjunction with our legal system, to navigate through what can be an incredible stressful time for adults and minors if affected by the technology.
Do you have a preferred solution for reform? Education campaigns, the monitoring of creators of deepfakes with illegal content, support systems in place for victims of the technology, further laws to establish grounds for managing social repercussions that stem from misinformation through deepfakes.

I support the full force of the law being enabled in SA to prosecute perpetrators of deep fake technology and/or revenge porn. I support all legislative reforms being considered, as well as establishment of a compensation fund or access to legal support in the event of a victim's need to prosecute. Police also must be on the same page, enabling smooth access to due process when instances are reported. All government bodies need to be aligned to the same purpose. In addition, I would like the Parliament to consider public education campaigns and school education programs aimed at high school students to further embed critical thinking and questioning of dubious images circulated in the public domain. Age-appropriate education should also start in primary schools, to build the next generation of questioning young people who don't take visual imagery at face value.

Deepfakes absolutely need to be policed to prevent misinformation. As a society we must protect younger children from falling for this misinformation as well.