Global Data Protection Authorities Statement on AI Imagery Privacy

Canada OPC News & Actions

Published February 23rd, 2026

Detected March 13th, 2026

Summary

Sixty global data protection and privacy authorities have issued a joint statement outlining privacy principles for AI-generated imagery. The statement calls on organizations developing and using AI content generation systems to implement safeguards and protect individuals, particularly children, from potential harm.

View original document View source feed page

What changed

Sixty global data protection and privacy authorities, including the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, have jointly issued a statement addressing the privacy implications of AI-generated imagery and videos. The statement outlines fundamental privacy principles for organizations developing and using AI content generation systems, emphasizing the need to protect individuals, especially children, from potential harm caused by non-consensual content, including intimate imagery and deepfakes.

Organizations developing or using AI content generation systems are urged to proactively engage with regulators and implement robust safeguards from the outset. The statement stresses that technologies should be developed with appropriate protections for individuals' privacy, dignity, safety, and other fundamental rights. While non-binding, this coordinated international effort signals a strong regulatory focus on responsible AI development and use, and compliance officers should review their organization's AI practices against these principles.

What to do next

Review organizational policies and practices related to AI-generated imagery and video content.
Implement safeguards to protect individual privacy, dignity, and safety in AI content generation systems.
Engage with relevant data protection authorities regarding AI development and use.

Source document (simplified)

News release

Global joint statement by data protection and privacy authorities on AI -generated imagery

February 23, 2026 – Gatineau, Quebec

Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne has joined 60 global and domestic counterparts in issuing today a joint statement on AI -generated images and videos and the protection of privacy.

The statement outlines fundamental privacy principles to help guide organizations that are developing and using AI content generation systems in order to protect individuals, including children, from potential harm caused by the creation of non-consensual content, including intimate imagery.

The signatories call on organizations to engage proactively with regulators, implement robust safeguards from the outset, and ensure that technologies are developed with appropriate protections for individuals’ privacy, dignity, safety, and other fundamental rights.

Quote

“The use of personal information to create AI -generated images and video, including deepfakes and intimate images, poses serious risks to individuals’ fundamental right to privacy. This includes significant potential harm to children. Global regulators are working together to address this growing phenomenon and to advance the responsible development and use of generative AI.”

Philippe Dufresne
Privacy Commissioner of Canada