A Mexican congressman wants to send people to prison for up to six years for creating or sharing memes without permission.
Deputy Armando Corona Arvizu from the ruling Morena party submitted a bill last month that would punish anyone who makes or distributes memes, stickers, or AI-generated content using someone’s image or voice without consent. The proposal also includes fines of up to 600 days’ salary.
The September 23 initiative seeks to add two new articles to Mexico’s Federal Penal Code. It targets what lawmakers call digital manipulation that harms a person’s identity, reputation, or dignity.
“Each manipulated image, each falsified audio, and each meme spread without authorization directly attacks people’s dignity, honor, and private life,” the legislative document states. “Mexico cannot remain behind in facing this reality.”
The new Article 211 Bis 8 would impose prison sentences and fines on anyone who creates, manipulates, or spreads images, videos, audio recordings, or digital representations using editing technology or artificial intelligence. The law would apply when someone uses another person’s identity or voice without permission to ridicule, harass, impersonate, or damage their reputation.
Article 211 Bis 9 would increase penalties by half when victims are minors, people with disabilities, or public servants. Stiffer sentences would also apply if content spreads widely on social networks and causes proven harm to someone’s personal, work, or psychological life.
Corona Arvizu argued his proposal doesn’t limit free expression but instead regulates digital abuse. He focused particularly on deepfakes, which are fake images or videos generated with AI that appear authentic.
“The creation of stickers, memes, and content generated with artificial intelligence, when done without consent, represents a modern form of violence that we should not normalize or allow,” he said.
The legislator claimed criminal penalties would discourage people from engaging in cyberassault, reducing impunity. He also noted how technology has evolved from a simple communication tool to something that can shape identities or destroy reputations in seconds.
This isn’t Corona Arvizu’s first attempt to regulate digital content. In February 2024, he introduced another bill to punish the spread of fake audio recordings of public figures. He called the misuse of digital manipulation technologies “a threat to integrity and social coexistence.”
Meanwhile in Puebla, Governor Alejandro Armenta announced plans to review the state’s cyberassault law to ensure public servants don’t receive special protections. He wants to guarantee the law won’t restrict criticism or commentary about officials.
“Public servants should be exempt from benefits under this law. There’s no censorship, and people can express themselves freely,” Armenta declared. “We’re talking about cybercriminals, not the media.”
Laura Artemisa García Chávez, president of the Puebla Congress’s governing board, agreed that reforms must protect free expression and maintain public scrutiny of government officials.
The initiative has generated heated discussion about where to draw the line between free speech and protecting digital identity. Organizations and social media users have warned that broad application of the law could lead to censorship of satirical or humorous content, especially material directed at government officials.
Mexico already faces serious challenges with press freedom. The country currently ranks 149 out of 180 nations in the World Press Freedom Index, according to Reporters Without Borders. Five Mexican states already have laws restricting political caricatures or memes, though authorities rarely enforce them.
Digital rights advocates have expressed similar concerns about other Mexican government initiatives, including mandatory biometric identification requirements that courts across Mexico have suspended over privacy concerns.
The proposal comes as governments worldwide grapple with how to regulate AI-generated content and deepfakes. At least 28 U.S. states have enacted laws related to deepfakes in political communications, though most focus on disclosure requirements rather than outright bans.
Critics of the Mexican proposal worry it could have a chilling effect on political discourse and satire, particularly in a country where humor and memes play significant roles in public debate about politicians and policies.
The bill now awaits review by the Chamber of Deputies. If approved, Mexico would join a small number of countries with criminal penalties specifically targeting unauthorized memes and digitally manipulated content.
KEY FACTS ABOUT THE PROPOSAL
• Penalties range from 3 to 6 years in prison
• Fines could reach 600 days of salary (approximately 65,000 pesos or $3,750 USD at current rates)
• Penalties increase 50% for crimes against minors, people with disabilities, or public servants
• Law would cover memes, stickers, deepfakes, and AI-generated content
• Applies when content is created without consent to ridicule, harass, impersonate, or damage reputation
• Bill submitted September 23, 2025 by Deputy Armando Corona Arvizu (Morena party)
• Currently under review in the Chamber of Deputies
Sources: Yucatan.com.mx, Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, U.S. Department of State, Mexico News Daily, Reporters Without Borders