Former Socialist party member Leire Díez filed a criminal complaint in Spain's National High Court on October 23, 2026 against the opposition People's Party after it published an AI deepfake campaign video depicting Socialist-linked figures admitting to corruption. While Digital Transformation Minister Óscar López condemned the ad as a colossal lie, People's Party spokesperson Borja Sémper defended it as political satire ahead of the November 29 general election.
PP deepfake campaign video
- ▪The People's Party campaign video included AI disclaimer text displayed at the bottom in tiny, nearly transparent font.
- ▪Spain's conservative People's Party released an AI-generated campaign video on its official social media accounts depicting individuals linked to the Socialist party making admissions of misconduct.
- ▪The People's Party released its AI-generated video simultaneously across X, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.
- ▪The People's Party campaign video featured deepfakes of Begoña Gómez discussing her university role and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero discussing hiding jewellery in a safe.
Leire Díez criminal complaint
- ▪Leire Díez requested that Magistrate Santiago Pedraz order a entry into the People's Party headquarters to preserve evidence related to the creation of the deepfake video.
- ▪Leire Díez's complaint stated that the AI video manipulated her likeness to depict her falsely saying she hired hitmen to eliminate a judge investigating Socialist party figures.
- ▪Leire Díez's criminal complaint accuses the People's Party of defamation, offenses against moral integrity, and digital identity theft, while requesting the court order the immediate removal of the video.
- ▪Former Socialist party member Leire Díez filed a criminal complaint against the People's Party in Spain's National High Court on October 23, 2026 over an AI deepfake campaign video.
Socialist party criticism
- ▪People's Party spokesperson Borja Sémper defended the campaign video, stating it used digital tools to highlight the Socialist party's hypocrisy rather than deceive voters.
- ▪Spain's Digital Transformation Minister Óscar López criticized the People's Party on October 23, 2026, stating that publishing the deepfake video on official accounts was intolerable.
Legal expert opinions
- ▪A majority of legal experts consulted by El País concluded that the People's Party video was not illegal due to its political satire context and AI disclaimers.
- ▪Former law dean Íñigo Navarro stated that viewers would recognize from the context that the political figures in the People's Party video did not make the depicted statements.
- ▪Criminal law professor Juan Antonio Lascuraín stated that determining the legality of the People's Party video is distinct from evaluating whether it is ethically or politically acceptable.
Ethical concerns about deepfakes
- ▪Associate professor José Javier Olivas stated that placing unsaid words into people's mouths via AI deepfakes qualifies as disinformation and crosses an ethical line in political campaigns.
- ▪A Wesleyan Media Project study identified over 200 AI-generated or AI-enhanced political advertisements during the 2026 US midterm election cycle, mostly linked to Republicans.
Spanish election campaign
- ▪The election campaign between Spain's mainstream political parties has featured emotional appeals and reciprocal attacks on rival morality.
- ▪Spain will hold a general election on November 29, 2026, with polls indicating the People's Party may need support from the far-right Vox party to form a government.
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