Groundbreaking sanction: Data Protection fines the distribution of AI-generated nude images of minors
The case dates back to 2023 in Badajoz, where around twenty minors suffered this impersonation.
BarcelonaA groundbreaking sanction in Spain. The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) has fined the distributor of several AI-generated images of nude girls €2,000. The incident dates back to 2023, when dozens of images of several teenage girls from Almendralejo, in the province of Badajoz, were published. These images were created using AI programs that replaced the nude bodies with the real faces of some of the girls from the town.
As the ARA explained at the timeThe National Police identified several minors as the alleged creators of these images. In parallel, the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) opened its own investigation after seeing all the news reports. A few days later, they received a complaint from one of the affected families. The investigation has ultimately pointed to a minor who has already been fined. His family paid €1,200 voluntarily, a discount allowed if the sanctioned individual admits to the facts. The resolution was issued two months ago, although its details were only made public this Thursday. Similar sanctions are not ruled out, as there appears to be more than one person involved in the distribution. While the resolution, which ARA has accessed, does not specify that these events correspond to the dissemination of images reported in Badajoz, sources from the agency confirm that it is the same incident. The Spanish Data Protection Agency's (AEPD) actions have run parallel to those of the criminal proceedings conducted by the Juvenile Court of Badajoz, which last year imposed supervised release on the fifteen minors found responsible for disseminating the images. It all stemmed from a joint complaint filed by the mothers of the victims. The court found fifteen minors responsible for twenty counts of child pornography and other offenses against moral integrity. The sentence also stipulated that they must receive, during this year, specialized training in sex education, responsible use of information and communication technologies, and awareness-raising on equality.