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Arthur Fuentes

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The National Privacy Commission issued a stern public warning on Tuesday against the unauthorized use of AI to generate and distribute images and videos of real individuals, classifying the act as a potential violation of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (DPA).In an advisory dated August 11, the NPC stressed that a person&#x27;s face and likeness are legally protected &quot;personal information&quot; under Republic Act No. 10173. In certain contexts, such media may even qualify as sensitive biometric information, the NPC said. Thus, using AI tools to create deepfakes and sharing them online constitutes the processing of personal data.The Commission noted that such activities require a lawful basis, especially the consent of the person depicted. Creating or sharing AI-generated media without a legitimate purpose may amount to unauthorized processing under the DPA, an offense carrying steep criminal penalties, as well as civil and administrative liabilities, the NPC warned.According to the NPC, deepfakes that show individuals doing or saying things they never did are classified as &quot;false personal data.&quot; Victims have the right to demand the immediate blocking, removal, or destruction of these fabricated files.<div>Parody, satire of public officials? </div>The advisory explicitly covers public officials. The NPC clarified that while public figures face greater scrutiny, deepfakes present no facts about their official duties. &quot;While their right to privacy should be weighed against the right to information on matters of public concern,5 a fabricated image or video depicts no actual conduct and conveys no information about the discharge of any official function,&quot; the agency said.While exemptions exist for journalism, art, parody, and satire, the NPC warned that these protections are narrowly applied.&quot;While the Commission recognizes that satire, parody, commentary, and reporting on matters of public interest may fall under the constitutional right to freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, and that the DPA does not apply to the processing of personal data for journalistic, artistic, or literary purposes,4 these protections only attach to the purposes behind the use of a person’s likeness to the minimum extent suitable and necessary to achieve them,&quot; the NPC said.The Commission also vowed to prioritize cases involving the likenesses of minors and the private family members of public officials. The Commission urged online platforms to provide accessible reporting mechanisms, warning it will investigate abuses and issue cease-and-desist orders to enforce swift takedowns of illicit AI content.

The National Privacy Commission said that a person's face and likeness are legally protected "personal information."

The National Privacy Commission said that a person's face and likeness are legally protected "personal information."

Commission warns unauthorized AI 'deepfakes' of real people may be violation of data privacy

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Commission warns unauthorized AI 'deepfakes' of real people may be violation of data privacy

Arthur Fuentes,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 11, 2026 03:53 PM PHT

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Updated August 11, 2026 03:59 PM PHT

Read More:

Data Privacy Act

deepfake

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