The UK government will introduce a new criminal offence this week targeting the creation of non-consensual intimate images, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced on Monday, amid growing concerns over artificial intelligence (AI)-generated deepfakes.
The announcement follows an investigation into X’s AI chatbot, Grok, which has reportedly been used to produce sexualised images of individuals without their consent. Under the new rules, X will be legally required to remove such content.
Kendall described the AI-generated sexualised images as “weapons of abuse” and said recent deepfakes circulating on the platform were “vile” and illegal. Speaking in Parliament, she noted that the Online Safety Act already makes sharing intimate images without consent a criminal offence for individuals and platforms alike.
She added that the Data Act, passed last year, criminalises the creation or commissioning of non-consensual intimate images. The government will now bring this offence into force and designate it a priority under the Online Safety Act.
The UK’s communications regulator Ofcom has opened a formal investigation into X, examining whether the platform has met obligations under the Online Safety Act. The review will assess whether the company has properly evaluated the risk of UK users encountering illegal content and whether risk assessments were updated before making significant service changes.
Kendall said the government’s action aimed to protect users and make platforms accountable for AI-generated content that could be used to harass or abuse individuals.
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Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy held military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday (16 February), state-linked media reported. The drill took place a day before renewed nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington in Geneva.
The 2026 Munich Security Conference (MSC) unfolded over three intense days in Munich, confronting a defining question of our era: has the post-Second World War international order collapsed - and if so, what will replace it?
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Geneva on Monday ahead of a second round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States, according to Iranian state media.
Azerbaijan and Serbia have formally launched a Strategic Partnership Council, marking a new phase in bilateral relations and placing cooperation under direct presidential oversight.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said China has the power to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, arguing that Beijing is enabling Moscow’s military campaign.
Austria’s Janine Flock won the gold medal in the women’s skeleton event at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Saturday.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said the United States could evaluate its own interests separately from those of Israel in ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday (15 February) called it “troubling” a report by five European allies blaming Russia for killing late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny using a toxin from poison dart frogs.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Russia’s decision to change the leadership of its delegation for upcoming peace talks in Geneva appeared to be an attempt to delay progress.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards navy held military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday (16 February), state-linked media reported. The drill took place a day before renewed nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington in Geneva.
A man accused of carrying out Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades appeared briefly in a Sydney court on Monday (16 February), facing terrorism and murder charges over the 14 December attack on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead.
The 2026 Munich Security Conference (MSC) unfolded over three intense days in Munich, confronting a defining question of our era: has the post-Second World War international order collapsed - and if so, what will replace it?
The United States has carried out its first air transport of a nuclear microreactor on a cargo plane, flying the unit from California to Utah in a demonstration designed to show the technology can be rapidly deployed for military and civilian use.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 16th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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