The European Council and Parliament have moved to combat certain forms of cyberviolence which was proposed in 2022.
The new regulations, which might serve to discourage revenge porn, would make it illegal to share private photos without consent, including deepfakes created by AI systems. Criminal charges will also be applied to cyberstalking, internet harassment, misogynistic hate speech, and “cyber-flashing,” or sending unwanted nude photos.
“This is an urgent issue to address, given the exponential spread and dramatic impact of violence online,” it wrote in its announcement.
The directive also mandates that member states provide tools that make it easier for users to recognize cyberviolence, know how to stop it from happening and know where to turn for assistance. They will also need to set up an online portal for their residents to use in order to submit reports.
This follows X’s decision to ban searches for explicit deepfake photos of Taylor Swift that went viral. Vice President of the European Commission Věra Jourová told Politico that releasing intimate photographs created by AI in a matter of minutes is the “latest disgusting way of humiliating women.”
“Such pictures can do huge harm, not only to popstars but to every woman who would have to prove at work or at home that it was a deepfake.”
The aforementioned regulations, however, are currently only a portion of a law that has to be approved by representatives of EU member states. The EU Council stated, “The final law is also pending adoption in Council and European Parliament.”
