TL;DR
Data protection authorities from 61 jurisdictions worldwide have signed a joint statement raising serious concerns about AI systems that generate realistic images and videos of identifiable people without consent. The statement, coordinated by the International Enforcement Working Group, flags particular dangers to children.
Global regulators take coordinated stance
The joint statement, released on 23 February 2026, represents one of the broadest international regulatory responses to generative AI to date. Sixty-one data protection and privacy authorities have signed on, expressing shared concern about AI tools capable of producing lifelike images and videos of real people without their knowledge or permission.
The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office is among the signatories. William Malcolm, the ICO’s Executive Director for Regulatory Risk and Innovation, contributed to the statement, which was produced through the International Enforcement Working Group (IEWG).
Non-consensual imagery flagged as criminal offence
The statement specifically highlights that AI-generated imagery is already being integrated into widely accessible social media platforms, enabling the creation of non-consensual intimate imagery, defamatory depictions, and other harmful content featuring real individuals. The co-signatories note that creating non-consensual intimate imagery constitutes a criminal offence in many jurisdictions.
What the statement demands
The joint statement sets out four expectations for organisations developing or deploying AI image generation systems. These include implementing safeguards to prevent creation of non-consensual intimate imagery — particularly involving children — ensuring transparency about system capabilities and acceptable uses, providing accessible mechanisms for individuals to request removal of harmful content, and addressing child-specific risks through enhanced protections and age-appropriate information.
The signatories also note that creating non-consensual intimate imagery is already a criminal offence in many jurisdictions. They have committed to sharing enforcement approaches and coordinating responses to what they describe as “a global risk.”
Signatories span every continent, including the European Data Protection Board, France’s CNIL, the UK ICO, Canada’s Privacy Commissioner, and authorities from South Korea, Singapore, Brazil, Nigeria, and dozens more.
Looking forward
The statement is coordinated through the Global Privacy Assembly’s IEWG rather than any single government, making it advisory rather than binding. But it represents one of the broadest regulatory coalitions assembled on any generative AI issue. Whether this coordinated position translates into concrete enforcement action will be the real test — particularly as AI image generation tools become embedded in mainstream social media platforms.