EU Agrees Ban on AI Erotic Deepfakes, With €35 Million Fines and 2026 Compliance Deadline
Updated
Updated · europa.today.it · May 21
EU Agrees Ban on AI Erotic Deepfakes, With €35 Million Fines and 2026 Compliance Deadline
2 articles · Updated · europa.today.it · May 21
EU lawmakers agreed to outlaw AI systems that create non-consensual sexual deepfakes and child sexual abuse material, closing a gap in the bloc’s AI Act after such tools spread online.
The amendment bans selling systems built for that content, marketing tools without reasonable safeguards, and deliberately using them for those purposes across images, video and audio.
Companies must comply by 2 December 2026 or face penalties of up to €35 million or 7% of global annual turnover, whichever is higher.
The same deal delays AI Act obligations for high-risk systems to December 2027 for standalone software and August 2028 for AI embedded in products because standards and national oversight bodies are not ready.
Generative AI watermarking was moved forward to 2 December 2026, while some procedural exemptions were extended from SMEs to small mid-cap companies to cut compliance burdens.
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Europe’s Landmark Ban on Non-Consensual Deepfake AI: Scope, Enforcement, and What’s Next
Overview
The European Union is set to introduce a comprehensive ban on AI systems designed to generate non-consensual sexually explicit deepfakes. This move is a major regulatory response to growing concerns about synthetic media abuse and aims to protect individuals from digital harm. The ban targets not only the technology itself but also providers, organizations, and individual users involved in creating or distributing such content. By addressing the entire ecosystem, the EU is taking a significant step to combat the misuse of artificial intelligence and ensure accountability across all levels.