Spain Tackles Online Violence Against Women: Will the Rest of Europe Follow?

Women are the primary victims of malicious online acts, particularly cyberbullying and sexual harassment. Faced with the rapid rise of hateful content and AI-generated pornographic deepfakes, some European Union member states are introducing specific legislation to better protect them.

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By Mélissa Albanese

July 3, 2026

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Illustration de l'article : Spain Tackles Online Violence Against Women: Will the Rest of Europe Follow?
Crédit : Andrej Lišakov

At the beginning of 2026, the Spanish government presented a draft law, championed in particular by Justice Minister Felix Bolaños, aimed at tackling sexually explicit deepfakes. These are images, audio files or videos manipulated by AI to make it appear that someone is saying or doing something they never actually said or did. This rapidly growing phenomenon overwhelmingly targets women:

98 %

of all deepfakes are non-consensual pornographic content, and 99% of those depict women.

UN Women

In response, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for criminal investigations into several major digital platforms, including X, Meta and TikTok. He accused these companies of facilitating the creation and spread of sexualised content that harms “the mental health, dignity and rights of our sons and daughters.”

Particular attention has focused on the AI assistant Grok, available on the social network X, which has been used to generate images that artificially undress women. These abuses have prompted several European authorities, including Ireland and the European Commission, to launch investigations under the Digital Services Act (the European regulation on digital services that came into force in August 2023).

The Spanish proposal goes beyond punishing those who create this content: it also raises questions about the responsibility of platforms and algorithms in the spread of gender-based violence. Its primary aim is therefore to create safer digital environments, particularly for minors.

A challenge that concerns all European citizens

500%

is the increase in deepfake cases between 2019 and 2023.

French collective Feminists Against Cyber Harassment

Beyond the figures, it is thanks to the testimony of several public figures that these forms of abuse have gained wider attention. Content creators such as streamer Maghla have spoken out about the sexual harassment they experience online, including pornographic edits made from photos they posted, violent abuse and the objectification of their bodies. These attacks are a continuation of more traditional forms of sexist violence, but they are amplified by the speed of online distribution, anonymity and the technical tools provided by digital platforms. The consequences of these forms of cyber abuse are particularly severe for victims: one in ten reported having experienced suicidal thoughts.

On 26 March, the issue was addressed at the European level. The European Parliament adopted a measure banning artificial intelligence systems capable of generating intimate images without consent by a large majority (569 votes in favour and 45 against). The text must still be negotiated with the Council of the European Union before it can be formally adopted.

In Germany, several thousand people gathered on 29 March 2026 to protest against online sexist and sexual violence. The demonstration took place following accusations made by actress and presenter Collien Fernandes against her former partner. He has been accused, among other things, of creating and distributing fake pornographic videos featuring his ex-partner. In response, the Social Democratic government announced that it would soon introduce a bill making the creation and distribution of pornographic deepfakes a criminal offence.

And what about France? A law adopted last year provides for penalties of up to two years in prison and a €75,000 fine for those responsible for creating sexual deepfakes.

The Spanish proposal therefore represents an ambitious attempt to regulate the challenges posed by increasingly powerful and sophisticated artificial intelligence. However, many challenges remain. The effectiveness of these measures will depend in particular on their practical enforcement and on international cooperation in a borderless digital space.

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