China's Supreme Court Rules on AI-Related Personality Rights Violations
China's Supreme Court released legal rulings on June 12, 2025 addressing AI-driven violations of personality rights, including unauthorized voice synthesis and deepfake videos. The court ruled against three companies that used voice processing AI without consent and another entity operating face-swap software, emphasizing that AI developers must obtain proper authorization and comply with laws protecting individual privacy and reputation.
What happened
China's Supreme Court released typical cases on June 12, 2025 involving AI technology used to infringe personality rights. The cases include unauthorized use of individuals' voices and likeness through AI-generated content.
One case involved three companies using AI to process a person's voice without permission and providing it to users for dubbing applications, causing the voice to be used in multiple contexts. Another case involved unauthorized use of a person's likeness through face-swap software operated for commercial profit.
Reported impact
The Supreme Court noted that AI-driven infringement of personality rights has distinct characteristics: infringement often occurs online with hidden and complex methods; infringement tools are increasingly accessible, threatening widespread privacy violations; and violators may face civil, administrative, or criminal liability.
The Cyberspace Administration of China launched a three-month campaign titled 'Clear–AI Technology Misuse Rectification' in response to growing incidents of voice collection, synthesis, forgery and impersonation used for entertainment or traffic exploitation on social platforms.
Index analysis
The Supreme Court emphasized that current laws provide clear protection for personality rights, including voice and image, but judicial practice faces significant challenges in evidence gathering and identifying infringers, as online infringement actors operate with anonymity and evidence disappears rapidly.
The court identified three key recommendations: the public must recognize the internet is not lawless and that harassment or privacy violations carry civil and criminal consequences; technology developers must obtain proper consent before collecting or using personal information; and individuals should strengthen self-protection by preserving evidence through screenshots, recordings, or notarization, then reporting to platforms or authorities.
Governance controls
The Supreme Court's ruling emphasizes that AI technology developers and operators must comply with laws and regulations, protect public health, respect ethics and morality, and avoid harming public interests. The court stated these are 'red lines' that must be observed.
The Cyberspace Administration released the 'Artificial Intelligence Generated and Synthesized Content Labeling Measures' requiring mandatory labeling of AI-generated content, especially high-risk deepfakes of public figures' faces, voices or language used to deceive the public. Platforms are required to screen and label suspected AI-generated content.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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