Spanish Prosecutor warns of AI use in youth gender-based cyberviolence

The Spanish State Attorney General's Office has issued an alert regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool for gender-based cyberviolence among young people and adolescents. This digital violence includes activities such as cyberbullying, non-consensual pornography, hate speech, sextortion, and threats of death or rape.

According to the 2024 Macro Survey on Violence Against Women, 12.2% of women over 16 in Spain have experienced digital harassment, 9.4% have received inappropriate sexually explicit messages, and 0.8% have had erotic content shared online without consent. The European Institute for Gender Equality noted that while cyberviolence affects all genders, women and girls often experience more traumatic forms.

In response, the Prosecutor's Office has emphasized the urgent need for specialized training for prosecutors regarding new forms of technological crime and increased investment in educational prevention. While the use of self-deleting messages presents challenges, courts are making progress in tracing digital evidence.