Finnish legal experts call for stronger enforcement as deepfake porn spreads to ordinary women

Only one conviction has been issued in Finland for sharing AI-generated nude images, despite growing reports of non-consensual deepfake porn targeting private individuals, legal scholars told national broadcaster Yle.

The phenomenon—previously concentrated on public figures—is now increasingly affecting ordinary women, said Tatu Hyttinen, assistant professor of criminal law at the University of Turku. “This is a new form of digital sexual crime that didn’t exist before,” he stated, calling it a significant societal issue.

Minna Kimpimäki, professor of criminal law at the University of Lapland, suggested some offenders, particularly young people, may not realize the criminal nature of deepfake porn. “They might think, ‘It’s not a real person or situation—how could it be illegal?’” she said.

Finland’s first and only conviction for distributing AI-generated nudes came in January, when a district court sentenced a young man to 100 day-fines (€10,000 in damages) for posting manipulated images. The ruling is final.

Both professors opposed harsher penalties, arguing that increasing the likelihood of prosecution—through victim reports—would be more effective. “The decisive factor isn’t the severity of punishment but the risk of getting caught,” Kimpimäki said.

Hyttinen urged victims to file reports despite the distress, noting it’s the only way to stop offenders and potentially remove images. “This is vile criminality,” he said. “Even without knowing the law, people should understand you can’t share nude images of a coworker.”

Kaisla Pohjolainen, a senior specialist at the Ministry of Justice, confirmed no immediate plans to amend laws but stressed the need for more case law. The ministry is monitoring the issue closely.