Journalists detained under San Luis Potosí AI law
San Luis Potosí approved the Ley Serrano, which criminalizes use of AI to imitate people or create disinformation with sentences up to 6 years. Three journalists were reportedly detained under the law in June 2026, and human rights groups accused authorities of using it to persecute press and suppress freedom of expression.
What happened
The Congreso del Estado de San Luis Potosí approved the 'Ley Serrano', a reform to the state penal code that penalizes illegal or altered use of artificial intelligence to imitate people or create disinformation, proposed by deputy Héctor Serrano of the Green Ecologist Party (PVEM).
Three journalists were detained in less than 48 hours under the law, according to Artículo 19. The law imposes sentences of 1 to 6 years imprisonment for those found guilty of using AI or digital tools to recreate, alter or imitate a person's voice or image without permission.
Reported impact
Activists and journalists accused the law of facilitating persecution of communicators and government critics under the guise of combating disinformation. Human rights organizations and journalists argued the law functions as a censorship mechanism against press freedom.
Around 200 people, including journalists, civil rights groups, and taxi drivers, marched on the state congress on 23 June 2026 demanding the law's repeal. Demonstrators broke through barricaded doors to enter the congress, with lawmakers present in the chamber refusing to meet their demands.
Governance controls
Artículo 19 denounced judicial persecution against journalists under the Ley IA law, reporting that three journalists were detained.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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