Responsibility on Ireland to be European leader in criminalizing deepfakes - MEP Maria Walsh
Ireland has a unique responsibility within the European Union to lead the way in legislating against the scourge of deepfakes and sexual AI content, MEP Maria Walsh has said.
Maria Walsh MEP first raised the alarm about the dangers of deepfake technology almost two years ago and has consistently campaigned for tougher laws and penalties for those who create and share sexually explicit AI-generated content.
The Fine Gael MEP has warned that deepfakes represent a new and serious form of gender-based violence, disproportionately targeting women and girls.
Maria Walsh MEP said:
“Ireland houses the European headquarters of many of the world’s largest social media companies, including X. With this, comes a unique responsibility within the EU to show leadership and legislate for the full criminalisation of the creation and sharing of deepfakes and AI sexual imagery.
I first highlighted this issue in spring 2024 - almost two years ago. I warned then that we were facing an avalanche of explicit and deeply harmful content created using AI. Sadly, that warning has now become reality, with children and young people increasingly among the victims.”
She said that laws are failing to keep up with the pace of deepfake technology.
“Our laws - both in Ireland and across Europe - have failed to keep up with the pace of deepfake technology. As things stand, our legal system is not able to protect innocent victims, and we now find ourselves in a place where even legal experts are questioning what role our legislation can play in tackling this issue.
“The rate at which new laws are created at a European level can sometimes be frustratingly slow. And while the EU’s Digital Services Act and the AI Act are important steps, they do not go far enough in addressing the creation of sexual deepfakes. Nor do these laws provide victims with the clear protections they deserve.
“While the presence of major social media companies brings employment and economic opportunities to Ireland’s shores, it also carries a clear moral obligation. Ireland can and should lead here - and we have a particularly valuable opportunity to do so during our upcoming Presidency of the EU Council beginning in July.”
The Midlands-North West MEP added:
“We must introduce national legislation which explicitly criminalises the creation of a non-consensual deepfake, setting a standard for other EU countries to follow. At the same time, Ireland must drive reform at an EU level by placing this firmly on the political agenda during our Presidency. This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity for Ireland to leave a lasting legacy within the EU in protecting women, children and vulnerable victims from this deeply harmful form of abuse.”