Legal Remedies and Regulatory Frameworks to Combat AI-Driven Deepfakes

Technological applications have been weaponized globally as a vital part of political campaigning in the digital age. Emerging tools such as generative artificial intelligence (AI) intensify concerns related not only to massive dis/misinformation—from either textual or audio-visual-based deepfakes—but also to non-consensual intimate synthetic media against women. The literature warns that these systems could amplify the scale, persuasiveness, and personalization of false or misleading content, thereby deepening societal divisions and reinforcing harassment against vulnerable groups. Particularly harmful in elections within contemporary polarized societies, also characterized by a gender-based bias, this scenario has triggered a worldwide debate on regulation and safeguards. In the context of multidisciplinary defenses, this chapter discusses recent efforts on AI regulation, focusing on legal toolkits to address the risks posed by deepfakes. Departing from the spectrum of regulatory approaches, which range from less interventionist to more coercive and liability-based, the study analyzes seven cases selected from different contexts, including South Korea, Brazil, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and the European Union. The study compares these efforts and gaps, exploring variables such as scope, strategies, source of regulation, specific measures, providers’ obligations and responsibilities, and sanctions. It is argued that these contemporary challenges demand a holistic, multilevel, cross-platform, and collaborative human rights–based regulatory framework.