Mediaset faces 30-day deadline after Italy bans Mentana…
The Italian data protection authority has banned broadcaster R.T.I. from using AI-altered clips of news director Enrico Mentana in satirical programming.
- Incident date
- Jul 2026
- Target
- Enrico Mentana
Italy’s data protection authority, the Garante per la Protezione dei Dati Personali, has issued a formal warning and a processing ban against R.T.I., a Mediaset group company, for its use of AI-generated deepfakes depicting La7 news director Enrico Mentana. The ruling, formalized on 23 July 2026, mandates that the broadcaster cease using Mentana’s personal data in altered clips aired by the satirical programme Striscia la Notizia.
What happened
Enrico Mentana filed a complaint objecting to segments where artificial intelligence was used to simulate his appearance and voice. The program utilized his image to perform scripts written by the show's authors, often staged in his professional capacity as a news anchor and incorporating the La7 logo to increase credibility. Mentana argued that the segments caused serious injury to his reputation, noting that many viewers believed the fabricated statements were genuine, as evidenced by hostile social media commentary.
In its defense, R.T.I. claimed the segments were protected under the right to satire. The company stated it had licensed footage from La7 and argued that the use of AI to replace a human voice actor was an evolution of traditional imitation. They maintained that they provided sufficient disclosure regarding the use of AI through disclaimers and logos. The broadcaster further argued that, at the time of the proceedings, the transparency obligations under the EU AI Act were not yet applicable.
The Garante rejected the reliance on the EU AI Act’s timeline, instead applying the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The authority found that the conduct violated principles of lawfulness, fairness, and transparency. While the regulator did not impose a financial penalty, citing the novelty of the legal questions surrounding AI in artistic expression, it ordered a stop to all further processing of the complainant's data. R.T.I. has thirty days from receipt of the decision to communicate its compliance steps, with failure to do so risking further administrative or criminal sanctions.