Chile advances bill to regulate AI deepfakes

Chile’s Chamber of Deputies approved in general a bill that sanctions the creation and dissemination of deepfakes generated with artificial intelligence. The initiative, listed as Bill 17,795-19, protects people’s image, voice and identity and has moved to its next legislative stage.

What the bill sets out

The text seeks to punish the creation or spread of realistic but false digital representations, in images, audio or video, when they can mislead people about someone’s identity. It also sets responsibilities for offenders and recognizes the right to digital integrity as a core principle of the proposal.

Legislative coverage reported that the full chamber approved the idea of legislating with 128 votes in favor, 2 against and 5 abstentions. After that vote, the bill was formally sent back to the Commission on Future, Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation for a line-by-line debate and review of amendments before any possible move to the Senate.

Fines, platforms and reporting channels

According to coverage by TVN, T13 and El Comercio, the sanction regime includes fines in favor of the state ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 UTM, roughly equivalent to 358 million pesos and 716 million pesos. Local press reported that the penalties are aimed especially at uses tied to fraud and scams carried out with AI, and that courts may order takedown or blocking measures to prevent irreparable harm.

The bill also requires platforms to visibly label content generated with AI, and to provide fast reporting channels. In the same vein, they must respond to requests to remove deepfake content within a maximum of 72 hours.

The rule applies to individuals, legal entities and social media platforms operating in Chile, with a specific exclusion for private instant messaging services. Foreign digital platforms would also need a legal representative in the country to answer for the obligations imposed by the law.

Political push and limits of the text

According to press coverage, the initiative was introduced by lawmaker Gael Yeomans of the Broad Front. The bill also expressly excludes parodies, criticism and artistic expressions, as long as they are clearly identified as such and do not mislead or cause harm.

During the floor debate, lawmakers also noted that the text establishes prior and revocable consent as the rule for using a person’s image, voice or identity, and includes the possibility of civil penalties such as compensation, along with immediate protective injunctions.

At the same time, Chile is moving ahead with another digital regulation bill. The Chamber of Deputies approved Bill 14,767-03, which strengthens the protection of digital content by criminalizing the commercial circumvention of technological protection measures, and sent it to the Senate, where the Economy Committee began its review on July 21, 2026.