SDLP East Derry MLA Cara Hunter is bringing forward an Assembly motion calling for urgent action on AI-driven abuse and online violence against women and girls.
It comes after the UK Government confirmed plans to legislate to outlaw the creation of non-consensual intimate images using AI, as well as the apps that enable it.
Ms Hunter’s motion calls on the Justice Minister to ensure these practices are outlawed in the North at the same time as Britain.
East Derry MLA Cara Hunter said:
“The UK Government’s announcement that it will finally take action against companies like X and other platforms that allow harm against women to go unchecked has brought renewed hope that this issue is at last being treated with the seriousness it deserves.
“For far too long social media companies have been content to turn a blind eye to appalling abuse. While people of all backgrounds are targeted online, women and girls are disproportionately affected and that harm has intensified with the rise of AI tools that allow intimate images of women and children to be created without consent.
“The impact on victims cannot be minimised. This kind of abuse can permeate every aspect of a person’s life, causing deep distress, humiliation and long-term harm to their work, relationships and wellbeing. While responsibility lies with those who create this material, the companies that host and profit from it have consistently failed to act or hold perpetrators to account.
“Too often, when progress is made elsewhere, the dysfunction of Stormont means the North is left lagging behind. I am determined that this will not happen again. The Justice Minister and the Executive must ensure that protections promised by the UK Government are implemented here at the same time, not months or years later. I will continue to fight to ensure victims are heard and that they are not failed yet again.”
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