Philippines, Ireland, New Zealand act on deepfakes

Philippine lawmakers, Irish legislators and New Zealand politicians moved this week to tighten rules on deepfakes, but they are targeting different harms. In Manila, bills in Congress would require consent and disclosure for AI-generated likenesses and create takedown routes for victims. In Dublin, an Oireachtas committee heard warnings on May 19 that children are being exposed to deepfakes and other AI-driven harms online. In Wellington, a member's bill backed across party lines is set for a first reading that would make sexually explicit deepfakes without consent a criminal offence. ### What are lawmakers in the Philippines trying to regulate? Rappler reported on May 19 that Philippine lawmakers are advancing proposals aimed at deepfake abuse, with the measures centered on consent and transparency in AI-generated media. One Senate proposal, Senate Bill No. 1714, is titled the Digital Likeness and Deepfake Regulation Act and was filed on January 27 by Senator Robinhood Padilla, according to the Senate's legislative database. (rappler.com) House Bill No. 3214, filed by Representative Brian Raymund Yamsuan, would establish protections against deepfakes, recognize rights over a person's face, body and voice, and create a takedown mechanism for deepfakes made without consent, according to the bill text. Rappler said Philippine proposals also include disclosure or labeling requirements for synthetic content and penalties for malicious use. ### What did Irish lawmakers hear about children? (rappler.com) RTÉ reported that an Oireachtas committee heard "grave concerns" on May 19 about children's exposure to deepfakes online and about delays in protections as generative AI tools spread. The hearing also heard that one in five children in Western Europe has been solicited or groomed online, RTÉ said. A written opening statement submitted to the committee by the Children's Rights Alliance said non-consensual deepfakes are "truly harmful" to children and young people and can be used to blackmail, bully, groom, threaten and abuse them. (docs.congress.hrep.online) The statement said protecting children requires ensuring their data and content are used only with informed consent and legally. ### How is New Zealand's approach different? (rte.ie) RNZ reported on May 19 that New Zealand is changing the law to make sexualised deepfakes a crime and that the Deepfake Digital Harm and Exploitation Bill is due for its first reading this week. The measure would make creating, sharing or selling sexually explicit deepfakes without consent a criminal offence, RNZ said. Cassandra Mudgway of the University of Canterbury wrote in analysis carried by RNZ and The Conversation that criminalisation alone is unlikely to stop the spread of sexualised deepfakes. (childrensrights.ie) She argued that banning apps designed to create such material should be the next step and called for wider guardrails for high-risk AI systems. ### Where do the three approaches overlap? (rnz.co.nz) The three countries are all moving against non-consensual synthetic content, but the legal tools differ. Philippine proposals focus on consent, rights over a person's likeness and labeling rules for AI-generated media; Irish lawmakers are examining child safety and online exposure through committee hearings; New Zealand is moving first on criminal penalties for sexually explicit deepfakes. (rnz.co.nz) The measures also reflect different institutional paths. In Ireland, the current action is committee scrutiny and testimony from advocates. In the Philippines and New Zealand, the debate is already tied to named bills that can move through legislative stages. ### What happens next in each country? New Zealand's next formal step is the first reading of the Deepfake Digital Harm and Exploitation Bill, which RNZ said has support across the political spectrum. (rappler.com) In the Philippines, Senate Bill No. 1714 and House Bill No. 3214 remain in the legislative process, where committee action and floor debate would determine whether consent and disclosure rules advance. In Ireland, the Oireachtas committee record and submissions from groups including the Children's Rights Alliance set out the next reference points for any legislative or regulatory follow-up. (rte.ie) (rnz.co.nz)