EU Parliament Votes to Ban AI 'Nudification' — Deepfake Pornography Crackdown in AI Act Amendment

The European Parliament is set to vote on a significant amendment to the AI Act that would introduce an explicit ban on artificial intelligence systems designed to create or manipulate sexually explicit images and videos, commonly known as 'nudifiers' or deepfake pornography, as officially announced by the European Parliament.

The proposal, prepared by the Internal Market and Civil Liberties committees, aims to address the growing problem of non-consensual deepfake pornography. While supporting the Commission's proposal to postpone the implementation of certain rules for high-risk AI systems to ensure legal certainty for businesses, MEPs have suggested a fixed date of December 2, 2027.

The draft position also includes measures to support small and mid-cap enterprises, clarify overlaps with other EU product safety rules, and grant the AI Office additional powers to oversee general-purpose AI models. Following the plenary vote scheduled for Thursday, March 26, MEPs will be ready to enter negotiations with EU member states, which had already agreed on their common position on March 13.

The proliferation of AI-generated deepfake technology has led to significant societal concerns, particularly regarding its malicious use for creating non-consensual explicit content. This practice severely violates individuals' privacy and dignity, causing serious psychological and social harm to victims.

The explicit ban on AI nudification systems sends a strong signal to the tech industry that the development and deployment of technologies for creating non-consensual explicit content will not be tolerated in the EU. Generative AI companies and platform operators will be required to implement stricter content moderation policies and technical safeguards. The AI Act's risk-based approach is likely to influence global standards for AI governance, pushing companies worldwide to adopt more responsible AI practices to maintain access to the EU market.