NEW LAW SEEKS TO OUTLAW 'DEEPFAKES' - Cy Mail 12/3 by Elias Hazou
The unauthorised publication of ‘deepfakes’ is now a criminal offence, under a law passed by parliament on Thursday.
A deepfake is synthetic media – images, video, or audio – created using advanced artificial intelligence to realistically replace one person’s likeness or voice with another’s.
The bill criminalising deepfakes – via an amendment to the basic Copyright Law – had been tabled by Akel MP Christos Christofides.
It aims to prohibit the dissemination of content mimicking the physical likeness of a person without their express consent. It also aims to prohibit content mimicking the performance of an artist without their express consent.
Copyright protection extends to 50 years after a person’s or artist’s death.
In the event a person’s likeness or voice is simulated without their express consent, complainants may file a civil lawsuit for compensation and/or seek injunctive relief to prevent a repeat offence.
In remarks on the House floor, Christofides said the need to update the legislation arose due to the spread of fake audiovisual material – such as investment scams, fake advertising and content intended to tarnish people’s reputation and dignity.
“Equally worrying is that the problem is not limited to economic fraud. Cypriot media have underlined that artificial intelligence is now being used to create sexualised or degrading fake content, especially against women, without the person’s consent and without an effective mechanism to withdraw the content after its circulation.”
