Holiday Ayo - The Australian government is preparing a new bill to prevent explicit images via online tools.

The government announced the move on Tuesday (September 2nd), calling it an effort to combat increasingly disturbing “disgusting technology,” although it has not yet set a timeline for its implementation.

If the law is passed, technology companies will be required to prevent the misuse of online tools that create explicit AI-generated images or stalking activities without detection.

“There is no place for apps and technology that are used solely to abuse, humiliate and harm people, especially our children,” said Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells, as reported by AFP on Tuesday (September 2nd).

AI-based apps on the rise. The government cited the app “Nudify” as the most prominent example of this problem.

This artificial intelligence-based tool can digitally undress a person in images that are now widely circulated online.

The app’s popularity has sparked alarm about a rise in sextortion cases targeting children. Wells emphasized that the government would use “every tool” to restrict access to Nudify and other stalking apps, while placing the onus on tech companies to block them.

“While this measure won’t eliminate the problem of abusive technology altogether, combined with existing laws and world-leading online safety reforms, it will make a real difference in protecting Australians,” Wells said.

The proliferation of AI tools has given rise to new forms of abuse impacting children. This includes pornography scandals at universities and schools around the world, where teenagers created sexualized images of their classmates.

A recent Save the Children survey found that one in five young people in Spain have been victims of deepfake nude images, with the images shared online without their consent.

The Australian government emphasized that the new law will be aimed at protecting citizens, without interfering with legitimate, consent-based AI services or online tracking.

Australia is known to be at the forefront of global efforts to curb internet harms, particularly those targeting children.

In November last year, the country passed landmark legislation restricting access to social media for children under 16.

This includes one of the world's strictest measures to restrict access to popular sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X.

The social media giant faces fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars if it fails to comply with the ban.

The company has called the rules "unclear," "problematic," and "hasty," particularly regarding user age verification.

However, an independent government-commissioned study found that age checks can be done "privately, efficiently, and effectively" with a variety of technologies, although there is no "one-size-fits-all solution."