Tasmania to Ban Non-Consensual Sharing of Sexual Images

By Crystal McKay

Topic: Sexual Offences

Sunday, 5 July 2026, at 12:05 pm

The Tasmanian government plans to introduce laws to stop people from sharing sexual images without consent.

In short:

The government wants to ban 'revenge porn' and fake images made with AI.

There has been a rise in image-based abuse in Tasmania and the rest of the country.

What's next?

The government will release a draft of the new laws for public comment by the end of the year.

Stephanie Nolan was a victim of image-based abuse and is now speaking out.

She felt very upset and went to the police, but they couldn't help her because of old laws.

The police told her they didn't know what to do because the laws are outdated.

Tasmania's current laws don't do enough to stop image-based abuse.

Recently, fake sexual images of female students were shared online, which is a big problem.

Only one person was charged, even though many images were shared.

The government is making it illegal to share intimate images without consent.

The new laws will cover different types of image-based abuse, including 'revenge porn' and AI-made images.

Victim survivors, like Stephanie Nolan, helped create the new laws.

Stephanie Nolan said the harm from image-based abuse is serious and long-lasting.

Once an image is shared online, the victim loses control over their body.

Tasmania has seen more cases of image-based abuse, says the government.

The minister for women, Jo Palmer, said there has been a rise in reports of image-based abuse.

Recently, 21 girls at a private school were targeted with fake pornographic images made with AI.

The school's principal said the school didn't try to stop parents from telling their daughters about the incident.

Five boys left the school, but no one was charged.

The minister said sharing intimate images without consent is 'absolutely disgraceful'.

The new laws will say that this behavior is not okay in Tasmania.

Stephanie Nolan said the reforms will recognize that image-based abuse is a serious problem, not just a minor issue.

The changes will hold perpetrators accountable and protect victims better.

The Greens party welcomes the new laws and looks forward to reviewing the draft.

The laws are being written, and the government will release a draft for public comment by the end of the year.

An advocate wants tech companies to do more to stop the sharing of explicit images.

The CEO of Engender Equality welcomed the announcement of the law reforms.

She said the laws need to be clear and well-defined so the police can respond effectively.

Alina Thomas wants tech companies to do more to prevent the sharing of explicit images online.

She said harsher penalties will help, but the community also needs to be involved.

People need to understand that sharing intimate images without consent is a crime.

Victim survivors need clear pathways to get help and justice.

Tech companies should uphold community standards and take responsibility for illegal content.

Individuals should not have to deal with this problem alone.

The response to image-based abuse must recognize that it mostly affects women and girls.

Mostly men and boys are responsible for this abuse, which targets women and girls.

This is important to consider when addressing the problem.

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