Singapore criminalizes non-consensual AI-generated intimate images

Starting 17 August 2026, Singapore will implement new legislation under the Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2025 to combat digital sexual abuse. A central component of the law is the criminalization of producing intimate images without consent, a definition that explicitly includes fully synthetic AI-generated material that does not rely on existing photographs.

Offenders producing such images face up to two years of imprisonment, a fine, or both. If the material depicts a minor under the age of 14, the law mandates a prison sentence of up to two years, alongside potential fines or judicial caning. The amendments also grant authorities extraterritorial reach to prosecute the grooming of minors abroad if the perpetrator or victim traveled from Singapore prior to the offense.

Additionally, the legal package adjusts the application of judicial caning. While it remains available for serious sexual offenses, the punishment shifts from mandatory to discretionary for several non-sexual crimes, such as piracy, attempted robbery, and the possession of illegal weapons.