A significant new initiative is being developed in the United Kingdom to tackle the dual threats of deepfake pornography and entrenched norms of toxic masculinity, particularly among young people. The plan, which focuses heavily on educational intervention, emerges amid growing concern from experts about the pervasive and damaging impact of these interconnected issues.
The Scale of the Deepfake Crisis
Experts speaking on a recent podcast highlighted the alarming proliferation of non-consensual deepfake pornography, where individuals' faces are digitally superimposed onto explicit content without their permission. This form of image-based sexual abuse is disproportionately targeting women and girls, creating lasting psychological trauma and reputational harm. The technology required to create these convincing forgeries has become frighteningly accessible, moving from complex software to simple, widely available apps.
The problem is not confined to celebrities. Schoolchildren and ordinary citizens are increasingly finding themselves victimised. The podcast detailed how the creation and sharing of such material has become a tool for bullying, harassment, and social control within schools and online communities, representing a profound failure of digital safeguarding.
Linking Deepfakes to Harmful Masculinity
Critically, the discussion framed the deepfake porn epidemic not as an isolated technological issue, but as a symptom of deeper societal problems. Analysts directly connected it to cultures of toxic masculinity—a set of attitudes that stereotype male behaviour as inherently dominant, unemotional, and sexually aggressive, while devaluing traits associated with femininity and consent.
This harmful framework, they argue, is what fuels the demand and justification for creating abusive deepfakes. It objectifies women and treats sexual conquest and humiliation as a form of status. The normalisation of such attitudes in some online spaces, from certain social media platforms to fringe forums, provides a breeding ground for this abuse to flourish.
The Educational Solution: Rethinking Masculinity in Schools
The proposed plan to combat this crisis centres on a proactive educational strategy. The core idea is to integrate lessons on healthy masculinity and digital ethics into the Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum in UK schools. This would move beyond simple warnings about online dangers to address the root cultural attitudes.
The educational programme would aim to:
- Challenge stereotypical gender norms and explore a wider, healthier range of masculine identities.
- Explicitly teach the principles of digital consent, explaining that creating or sharing sexualised imagery of anyone without their permission is a serious violation.
- Equip young people with the critical literacy to identify manipulated media and understand its real-world harms.
- Foster empathy and resilience, helping boys and young men build self-worth outside of harmful online behaviours.
Proponents believe that by confronting these issues head-on in the classroom, it is possible to foster a generational shift in attitudes. The goal is to reduce the demand for abusive content by promoting respect, empathy, and a positive understanding of masculinity that rejects coercion and humiliation.
While legislative action to criminalise the creation of deepfake pornography more robustly is also part of the conversation, experts on the podcast emphasised that law alone is reactive. A lasting solution requires prevention through education, changing the social environment that allows such toxicity to thrive. The success of this ambitious UK plan will depend on careful implementation, teacher training, and ongoing evaluation of its impact on young people's attitudes and behaviours both online and off.
