Government to draft new laws targeting abusive use of deepfakes, PM Abela says

The government is preparing new legal recommendations to curb the abusive use of deepfake technology, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced during a meeting with participants in the National Youth Parliament.

Speaking as the National Youth Council presented the 2025 work report of the National Youth Parliament, Abela said the government is currently reviewing existing legislation with the aim of introducing penalties for the misuse of artificial intelligence to harass, blackmail or bully individuals.

Abela compared the planned reforms to earlier laws introduced to address cyberbullying and cyberstalking, arguing that similar legal safeguards are now needed to deal with the risks posed by AI-generated content. He said that while the government is actively promoting the use of artificial intelligence through measures announced in the Budget, it also has a duty to ensure that these technologies are used in a safe and responsible environment.

“The same way we intervened to deal with cyberbullying and cyberstalking, we will also act so that the use of deepfakes to harm people is penalised appropriately under our laws,” the Prime Minister said.

Artificial intelligence and youth participation in public life were the two main themes addressed by the Youth Parliament in 2025. In his remarks, Abela said young people are playing a central role in shaping Malta’s long-term development strategy, Vision Malta 2050, and will be key to its implementation.

He said the vision, which looks ahead to the next 25 years, directly affects those who are now preparing to enter the workforce or start families. Young people, he added, are catalysts in shaping national policy on major issues such as fertility rates, environmental protection and the balance between work and family life.

The meeting was also attended by Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation Minister Clifton Grima, Parliamentary Secretaries Andy Ellul and Keith Azzopardi Tanti, Cabinet Secretary Ryan Spagnol and members of the Youth Advisory Forum.