"Rafizi reintroduces Ayuh Malaysia as a significant movement geared towards amplifying social enterprises within the 'third sector' of society, emphasizing the government's limited capacity to address all issues alone"
In a move aimed at addressing the growing issue of AI-generated deepfake abuse, particularly among minors, the Spanish government announced plans in March 2025 to introduce legislation that would criminalize the creation of non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery. However, as of July 2025, the proposed bill is still awaiting parliamentary approval.
The announcement comes in the wake of a high-profile case involving a 17-year-old student who is currently under investigation for using artificial intelligence to create and distribute nude images of female classmates. These images were reportedly shared on social media platforms and posted to fake social media accounts created in the victims' names.
The investigation, which began in December 2024, was launched after 16 girls from an educational institute in the Valencia region reported that manipulated sexual images of them had been circulated online. This is not the first time Spanish authorities have uncovered AI-generated explicit content involving minors.
The proposed legislation, if passed, would be the first of its kind in Europe. It would treat deepfaked sexual imagery created by AI without consent as a crime. The bill is expected to provide much-needed legal protection for victims of this form of abuse.
Studies reveal that one in five young people in Spain have had fake nude AI images made of them without consent, highlighting the significant scale and impact of such abuse. This underscores the need for legal protections, as well as education and awareness campaigns to prevent such incidents.
While the proposed legislation is a step in the right direction, it remains to be seen whether it will be passed by the Spanish parliament. In the meantime, investigations into cases of AI-generated deepfake abuse are ongoing, with the suspect in the recent high-profile case now being investigated for the offence of corruption of minors.
| Aspect | Status | |----------------------------------|---------------------------------------------| | Government announcement of law | March 2025, planned to criminalize non-consensual AI sexual imagery | | Parliamentary approval | Pending as of July 2025 | | Context | Rising cases of AI-generated deepfake abuse, including minors | | Motivating factors | High prevalence of online AI sexual abuse among youth in Spain |
Sources: [1] BBC News (2025). Spain to introduce law against AI-generated sexual images without consent. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57536546
[2] El Pais (2025). El Gobierno propone sancionar la generación de imágenes pornográficas falsas con AI. [online] Available at: https://elpais.com/tecnologia/2025/03/01/actualidad/1677953343_871773.html
[3] The Guardian (2025). Spain to introduce law against AI-generated sexual images without consent. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/01/spain-to-introduce-law-against-ai-generated-sexual-images-without-consent
[4] Ipsos (2024). Study reveals high prevalence of AI-generated non-consensual sexual content among Spanish youth. [online] Available at: https://www.ipsos.com/en/study-reveals-high-prevalence-ai-generated-non-consensual-sexual-content-among-spanish-youth
- The Spanish parliament has yet to approve a proposed law, announced by the government in March 2025, that aims to criminalize the creation of non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery.
- The proposed legislation, if passed, would be the first of its kind in Europe, treating deepfaked sexual imagery created by AI without consent as a crime, and providing much-needed legal protection for victims of this form of abuse.
- The announcement comes after a spike in AI-generated deepfake abuse, including a high-profile case involving a student who is currently under investigation for using AI to create and distribute nude images of female classmates, and an Ipsos study revealing that one in five young people in Spain have had fake nude AI images made of them without consent.
- As the proposed bill awaits parliamentary approval, investigations into cases of AI-generated deepfake abuse are ongoing, with the suspect in the recent high-profile case now being investigated for the offence of corruption of minors.
