Italian Prime Minister Meloni registers his voice against deepfake attacks

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni applied to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to register his voice as a trademark in order to protect against fake content (deepfakes) produced by artificial intelligence.

Meloni's advisors confirmed the application, which appeared on the agency's website dated Oct. 5.

According to the Reuters news agency, the application file includes a four-second audio recording in which Meloni repeats the phrase "I am Giorgia Meloni" in Italian twice.

The phrase "Io sono Giorgia" (I am Giorgia) came to the fore in the Italian leader's rally speech in 2019, and was later turned into a dance piece and became the title of his autobiography published in 2021.

REGISTRATION ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH

Meloni's application to the EUIPO is still under review.

The Italian press points out that even if the registration request is accepted, this step will not directly prevent the voice from being copied by artificial intelligence, but will create new legal obstacles for those who want to reproduce the voice without permission.

The Italian Prime Minister has also been struggling with manipulated images that he has been targeted on the internet in recent years.

Among these unrealistic posts, there was also a fake image showing Meloni in her underwear on a bed, and from time to time it was spread as if it were real.

Describing such content as an attempt to spread lies and target individuals, Meloni called on internet users to verify the content before sharing it.

Stating that he can defend with his own means, Meloni emphasized that many people do not have this power.

The Italian leader filed a civil lawsuit in 2024 against a Sardinian man accused of producing fake pornographic images on the internet using his face.

The case in question is currently being heard in an Italian court.