On Tuesday, the Spanish government approved a bill aimed at countering fake images created with artificial intelligence and tightening rules on consent for using images.
According to Reuters, sources familiar with the document’s deliberations confirmed the information, relayed via press briefings.
“The Spanish Cabinet approved a bill to limit deepfakes created by artificial intelligence and strengthen the rules for obtaining consent to use images, as European states are increasingly seeking to combat sexually explicit content generated by AI”
– Reuters
The bill would strengthen protections for minors: 16 years is defined as the minimum age to consent to the use of one’s own image, and it also imposes limits on the reuse of online images and voices or AI-generated images without permission.
“What people share of their personal or family images on social networks does not give absolute freedom to use those images in other contexts”
– Spain’s Minister of Justice Félix Bolaños
The reform also explicitly defines the illegal use of a person’s image or voice created with artificial intelligence for advertising or commercial purposes without consent.
Bolaños noted that creative, satirical, or fictional uses of images involving public figures will be allowed provided that such content is clearly marked as AI-generated.
The bill is currently subject to additional consultations, after which it will be sent back to the government for final approval and submitted to Parliament for consideration.
Context of AI regulation and the future of legislation
This step by Spain comes amid growing attention to regulating artificial intelligence and its impact on privacy, as well as Europe’s efforts to strengthen personal data protection.
As Ukrinform previously reported, the Grok chatbot, developed by the xAI startup owned by Elon Musk, faced criticism from governments of various countries due to the rise in sexually explicit images without consent. In response, Grok stopped creating images for most users on the X social network. Subsequently, Indonesia became the first country to temporarily block Grok over these issues.
The article also notes that the bill is planned to be submitted to Parliament after completing consultations and the government approves the final text.