Source: Fianna Fáil

Fianna Fáil reports on the urgent call by Deputy Malcolm Byrne for the Irish Government to fast-track the "Protection of Voice and Image Bill 2025." This legislation is designed to tackle the weaponization of AI for sexual purposes, specifically the creation of non-consensual deepfakes and the "nudification" of individuals. The Bill seeks to make the misuse of a person’s image or voice for malign purposes a criminal offense, providing a strong legal framework to prosecute those who generate or share harmful AI content without consent.

The push for accelerated legislation follows a surge in AI-generated abuse that has become increasingly visible in early 2026. Deputy Byrne also suggested using AI tools to assist in the legislative drafting process itself to allow the government to be more agile in responding to emerging technological challenges. Alongside criminalization, the initiative calls for public information campaigns to increase awareness of digital harms. This move aligns with broader efforts in Ireland, where the national media regulator has recently designated non-consensual AI sexual images as illegal content, allowing for rapid takedown orders against platforms.