Italy criminalizes Deepfakes: 1-5 years in prison.

Numerous current legal systems are based on Roman Law, with the pioneering legal compilation of Emperor Justinian, known as the Corpus Iuris Civilis, being one of the most important and influential legal works in the practice of current Civil Law by including concepts such as obligations, contracts, property, civil liability and equity.

Italy, heir to the legacy of the Corpus Iuris Civilis, has reaffirmed its legal tradition and has consolidated its role as a pioneer in the regulation of AI, by becoming the first country to enact a Law (No. 132/2025), which complements the Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (“AI Act”).

However, the new Italian Law introduces two important novelties with respect to the AI Act, on the one hand, it specifically protects minors under 14 years of age, for whom it will be mandatory to have the express authorization of their parents or legal guardians both to be able to access AI systems and to authorize the processing of their personal data.

And on the other hand, it introduces criminal sanctions punishing illicit Deepfakes with sentences from 1 to 5 years in prison as it is established in article 612 of the Italian Penal Code. Likewise, market manipulation with artificial intelligence is punishable by up to 7 years in prison and the use of AI in any crime is considered an aggravating circumstance.

With this Law, the Italian Government aims to ensure a transparent and responsible use of AI, protecting the fundamental rights of citizens, requiring mandatory human supervision in critical sectors such as labour and health, justice, education, and public administration.

The Italian government has also created a public-private investment fund of 1,000 million euros to promote AI, cybersecurity and new technologies projects.

If you need to adapt your company to the new Italian AI Law, contact us today and find out how RuneLex AI can help you implement AI ethically, safely and in compliance with the law.

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