On Thursday, May 23, 2024, Carlotta Rigotti, post-doc researcher at eLaw, gave a guest lecture on the regulation of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) in the European Union at Kyoto University.
In her presentation, Carlotta provided a preliminary analysis of the regulation of IBSA - defined as the non-consensual creating, taking, or sharing of intimate images or videos, including manipulated media, and threats to distribute such material - under the newly adopted Directive on violence against women and domestic violence. She focused primarily on the criminalization included in Articles 5 and 7.1(c), pointing out limitations such as the narrow scope, evidentiary thresholds, and requirements for public disclosure. Additionally, she discussed provisions for victim assistance, prosecution, and prevention of IBSA, including content removal orders. On a final note, Carlotta briefly explored the potential contributions of the Digital Services Act and the AI Act, noting that while these acts lack explicit gender sensitivity or focus on IBSA, certain provisions could help combat IBSA by holding online platforms, search engines, and AI developers accountable for facilitating such sexualised and gendered harm.
Following her presentation, Momo Kisuna from Kyoto University explained the current legal framework in Japan. This laid the groundwork for an interactive Q&A session where participants not only asked questions but also expanded the discussion to include issues like sexting and shared expertise on the subject from other jurisdictions, including the regulation of deepfakes in Taiwan.
The lecture was organized by Dr. Miki Kadota and supported by Professor Masahiro Sogabe. See this website
