Spain's cabinet approves bill to outlaw unauthorised AI deepfakes and tighten true crime rules

The Council of Ministers approved the draft organic law on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, updating civil protections for personal honour, privacy and self-image for the digital age. The bill, now heading to the Congress of Deputies, is the first Spanish legislation to explicitly classify unauthorised commercial use of AI-manipulated images or voices, so-called deepfakes, as an illegitimate intrusion.

Deepfakes and AI-generated content

For the first time, using a person’s voice or likeness created or altered by artificial intelligence for advertising or commercial purposes without permission will be considered unlawful. The reform also clarifies that posting a photo on a personal social media profile does not grant third parties the right to reuse it elsewhere. Justice Minister Félix Bolaños said the aim is to “return power over their own image to people” and curb what he called the practices of “big tech oligarchs who seek to profit at the expense of their honour and image.”

We want the rules of the game to adapt to the reality of our time.

True crime and victim protection

The bill introduces stronger safeguards for crime victims. It will be considered an illegitimate intrusion if a perpetrator uses details of their own crime in series, books or other audiovisual works in a way that causes fresh harm to the victim. The measure responds to growing unease over true crime productions that turn real suffering into entertainment and can retraumatise those affected.

Minors, digital legacy and damages

Children under 16 will not be able to consent to the use of their image, and even for those over 16 any use will be treated as an intrusion unless strict conditions are met. The law also creates a “digital testament” allowing individuals to specify how their image may be used after death. Courts will be given criteria to calculate moral damages, including social impact, repetition and the severity of the language used, and compensation can never be purely symbolic. Final convictions will be published in the official state gazette if the injured party requests it.

Satire and public figures

An exception preserves freedom of expression and creativity. When the subject is a person with a public profile, AI-generated content used in a creative, satirical or fictional context remains permitted, provided the use of the technology is clearly indicated. The provision aims to protect parody and artistic works while still requiring transparency about the synthetic nature of the material.

What happens next

The bill now begins its parliamentary journey in the Congress of Deputies. Because it is an organic law, it will require an absolute majority to pass. The government had already approved a preliminary draft in January 2026, and the final text incorporates input from the General Council of the Judiciary, the Fiscal Council, the Spanish Data Protection Agency, the Council of State and the Consumers and Users Council. Government spokesperson Elma Saiz said the law “updates current legislation to face the challenges of social networks and artificial intelligence.”