Villafuerte bill imposes hefty P5-M fine on undisclosed 'deepfakes'
At A Glance
- Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte has filed a measure that would impose a hefty P5-million fine on individuals who fail to tell the public that the "deepfake" media that they produced and distributed were indeed deepfake.
Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte (PPAB)
Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte has filed a measure that would impose a hefty P5-million fine on individuals who fail to tell the public that the "deepfake" media that they produced and distributed were indeed deepfake.
Through House Bill (HB) No.10567, Villafuerte, the National Unity Party (NUP) president, wants to impose strict regulatory control of artificial intelligence (AI) technology when used for the production of deepfake audio, visual or audiovisual materials.
The veteran congressman filed the bill even as Philippines is bracing for the upcoming 2025 mid-term elections, where disinformation or misinformation are expected to be an issue for the electorate given current technological advancements.
The bill says that any person who uses the generative AI system or any similar technology to produce or distribute deepfakes, with the intent to distribute such altered presentations over the Internet or knowledge that such deepfake shall be so distributed, are required to make a public disclosure that these are deepfakes.
HB No.10567 defines deepfake as any video recording, motion-picture film, sound recording, electronic image, or photograph, or any technological representation of speech that: a) Appears to authentically depict any speech or conduct of a person who did not in fact engage in such speech or conduct; and b) The production of which was substantially dependent upon technical means, rather than the ability of another person to physically or verbally impersonate such person.
It imposes a penalty of P5 million on any person who knowingly fails to make a public disclosure as provided for in Section 4 of the bill.
Meanwhile, any person who removes, alters or causes another to remove or alter the disclosures shall be penalized with P2 million to P3 million for every violation.
Villafuerte pointed to the importance of “deepfake disclosure as we approach AI with caution and responsibility".
He said he wants to make sure that AI is "used in an ethical and transparent manner".
"Being the latest disruptive technology, AI has to be dealt with by our government in a cautious and responsible manner, especially when it comes to our electoral system,” the former Camarines Sur governor further said.