Men Who Shared Deep Fake Images of Notable Australian Women Risk $450,000 Fine

Regulators overseeing online safety are pursuing the maximum fine of $450,000 against a man for publishing deepfake images of a well-known Australian woman on his website, marking a significant case in an Australian court.

The Esafety Commissioner has initiated legal action against Anthony Rotondo for his failure to remove “intimate images” of high-profile Australian women from the Deepfake Pornography site.

The federal courts maintain the confidentiality of the women’s real names.

The court learned that Rotondo initially defied the order while residing in the Philippines, prompting the committee to pursue legal action upon his return to Australia.

Rotondo had posted an image on Mrdeepfakes’ site.

In December 2023, Rotondo was fined after admitting to breaching the court’s order by failing to remove the image. He subsequently provided the password to delete the Deepfake image.

A representative from the Esafety Commissioner indicated that regulators are aiming for a fine between $400,000 and $450,000 for the violations of online safety law.

The spokesperson emphasized that the proposed penalty reflects the seriousness of the “significant impact on the targeted women.”

“This penalty aims to deter others from partaking in such harmful actions,” they stated.

Esafety highlighted that the creation and distribution of nonconsensual explicit deepfake images result in severe psychological and emotional harm for the victims.

The penalty hearing occurred on Monday, and the court has reserved its decision.

Additionally, federal legislation was passed in 2024, strengthening the fight against explicit deepfakes.

In her introductory remarks to the Senate committee considering the bill last July, Esafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant noted that DeepFakes have surged by 550% since 2019, with 99% of such pornographic content featuring images of women and girls.

“Abuse involving deepfake images is not only on the rise, but it is also highly gendered and incredibly distressing for the victims,” Inman Grant stated.

“To my surprise, the number of open-source AI applications like this is rapidly increasing online, often available for free and easy to use for anyone with a smartphone.

“Thus, these apps present a low barrier for perpetrators, while the repercussions for the targets are devastating and often immeasurable.”