Singapore is sending a clear warning to people who use artificial intelligence to create sexually explicit images of others without their consent: using AI does not put you outside the reach of criminal law.
Under amendments to Singapore’s Penal Code, the definition of an intimate image was expanded to expressly include synthetic AI-generated images. The law also created a specific offence for producing an intimate image—including an AI-generated image—without the depicted person’s consent.
The changes were passed by Singapore’s Parliament in November 2025 and the relevant provisions came into force on December 30, 2025.
That means the issue is no longer simply about whether a manipulated image is “real.”
For victims, the harm can be just as serious even when the material was entirely fabricated.
AI-generated images now explicitly covered
Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs said advances in generative AI have made it possible to create completely synthetic images that depict people in intimate situations without using an existing photograph or video.
The government therefore amended the law to make clear that these synthetic images fall within the legal definition of intimate images.
The amendment is significant because older laws were designed around manipulated versions of existing images or recordings. Generative AI changed the equation by allowing perpetrators to create realistic-looking material from scratch.
Under the amended framework, producing an intimate image without consent is itself an offence. The penalties are aligned with existing offences involving voyeurism and possession of intimate images.
Bombo Radyo reported that offenders could face up to two years in prison, a fine, or both, depending on the applicable offence.
Singapore is also targeting the spread of abusive material
The crackdown goes beyond the person who creates an image.
Singapore’s broader criminal-law changes also strengthened provisions dealing with the electronic circulation of obscene material. Large-scale electronic circulation can carry imprisonment of up to two years, a fine, or both.
When the material depicts a minor below 18, the penalties become significantly more severe, including mandatory imprisonment of up to four years and a fine.
Authorities also introduced offences targeting people who deliberately establish or manage online locations—such as certain groups or channels—with the intention of facilitating large-scale circulation of obscene material.
If the material involves minors, the maximum imprisonment for that conduct can reach seven years.
The law also addresses AI-generated child abuse material
Singapore has gone further by clarifying that its child-abuse-material offences can apply to computer-generated material even when no real child was used in producing the image.
The government said this clarification was intended to remove uncertainty and reflect its existing policy position that realistic computer-generated child-abuse material should be criminalized.
This is particularly important as generative AI makes the production of realistic synthetic imagery faster and more accessible.
Victims have more avenues for protection
The criminal-law changes are happening alongside Singapore’s wider push to strengthen protections against online harms.
In June 2026, Singapore’s Online Safety Commission began operations, giving victims another avenue for seeking action against harmful online content. The Commission can deal with categories including online harassment, doxxing, online stalking, intimate-image abuse and image-based child abuse.
The system also allows authorities to issue legally enforceable directions to people who post harmful material, online group or page administrators, and platforms in appropriate cases.
Non-compliance with certain directions can itself become a criminal offence, with individuals potentially facing fines of up to S$20,000 or imprisonment of up to 12 months, while entities can face fines of up to S$500,000.
Victims may also have civil remedies under Singapore’s new online-safety framework.
Police can act against AI-generated obscene material
Singapore authorities have also clarified what victims can expect when AI-generated obscene images are reported.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said police investigations can include interviews, examination of digital forensic evidence and other investigative steps. For young victims, authorities may notify parents or guardians and offer victim-care services where psychological support is needed.
If AI-generated obscene images are being circulated online, police may also issue directions under Singapore’s Online Criminal Harms Act to online service providers to disable access to the material for users in Singapore.
Why the Singapore move matters
The Singapore approach reflects a growing problem across the region: AI has dramatically lowered the technical barrier for creating convincing fake images and videos.
Experts have warned that generative AI can make online harassment faster, more targeted and easier to scale because perpetrators can automate the production of threatening or abusive material.
A recent Singapore case also illustrated the human cost. In April 2026, Singapore content creator Renae Cheng said she had experienced prolonged online harassment that allegedly included AI-generated intimate videos depicting her. The case highlighted not only the emotional impact on victims but also the difficulties that can arise when an alleged perpetrator is located overseas.
Singapore’s new framework is therefore aimed at closing a dangerous loophole: a person cannot simply argue that an abusive sexual image is “fake” because it was produced by AI.
The technology may be artificial.
The damage to a real person can be very real—and Singapore’s laws now increasingly treat it that way.
What this means for Filipinos in Singapore
For Filipinos living, studying or working in Singapore, the message is straightforward: creating or circulating AI-generated sexual material involving another person without consent can carry serious legal consequences.
People who become victims should preserve evidence such as screenshots, URLs, usernames, messages and other relevant digital records rather than continuing to engage with the perpetrator.
Singapore’s evolving online-safety regime shows that authorities are increasingly treating AI-enabled abuse as a real-world harm rather than simply an internet problem.
And as generative AI becomes even more sophisticated, Singapore’s experience could become a model for other countries—including the Philippines—as governments grapple with the growing threat of AI-powered harassment and sexual abuse.
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