Cyprus parliament approves legislation against deepfakes

On Thursday, the plenary session of the Cyprus House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill proposed by MP Christos Christofides of AKEL regarding deepfake technology. The legislation amends the Intellectual Property and Related Rights Law to prohibit the public distribution of synthetic imitations of a person's physical characteristics, voice, or performances without their explicit consent. Protection is granted for a period of up to 50 years after the death of the individual or the performer. Victims of such unauthorized use are granted the legal right to file lawsuits for damages and seek injunctive relief, consistent with existing intellectual property law. Furthermore, the unauthorized public distribution of deepfakes depicting an individual's physical traits is classified as a criminal offense. This framework establishes sui generis protection for personal characteristics and artistic performances, addressing concerns regarding AI-generated media.