Digital violence and AI deepfakes face legal scrutiny in Brazil

Digital tools are increasingly being used to facilitate violence against women, including stalking, psychological control, and the non-consensual distribution of intimate content. While the internet has not created these behaviors, it has provided new methods for harassment, such as using fake profiles, real-time location sharing, and artificial intelligence to create deepfakes.

In Brazil, legal frameworks such as the Maria da Penha Law and the Penal Code address these issues. Specifically, Article 147-A criminalizes stalking, while Article 218-C penalizes the unauthorized disclosure of intimate images or videos. Furthermore, Article 216-B provides for the punishment of those who create montages—including those produced by AI—to insert individuals into scenes of nudity or sexual acts, regardless of whether the original event actually occurred.

A recent case involving the circulation of a deepfake video featuring Jonas Sulzbach and Juliano Floss highlights these legal protections. Legal experts note that even when content is entirely fabricated through AI, the act of creating and distributing such material to damage a person's dignity remains a punishable offense under Brazilian law.