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Fact‑check: The Spanish government has not announced a blanket ban on AI‑generated content

A screenshot of a purported Spanish decree that would “prohibit all artificial‑intelligence (AI)–generated content from the internet by 2025” began circulating across Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter on Thursday, September 11. The post, which appeared to come from a Spanish governmental agency, claimed that the Ministry of Digital Transformation had issued a regulation that would make it illegal to post or share any text, image, audio or video created by AI tools without explicit disclosure.

The Reuters Fact‑check team examined the claim in detail, tracing the source of the screenshot, reviewing the official legal framework that governs AI in Spain, and interviewing experts in Spanish law and digital policy. The conclusion is clear: the decree is a fabrication. Below is a summary of the fact‑check’s key findings.

1. The origins of the hoax

The screenshot in question shows a document labeled “Ministerio de Transformación Digital” and bears the signature of an unknown official. A quick search on Google revealed that the image was first uploaded to a user‑run blog called “Noticias Oficiales” (official news) on August 30, 2025. The blog is not affiliated with the Spanish government, and its domain registration shows that it was created in 2024 by a private individual. No Spanish government website (www.mde.es or www.lamoncloa.gob.es) lists such a decree in its archives.

Reuters’ investigators found that the image was generated using the photo‑editing software Adobe Photoshop, with text that had been copied from an unrelated 2023 policy paper on AI governance. The blog’s author had posted the image along with a sensational headline, “Spain to ban AI content – all must be disclosed!” The post received over 1.2 million views in the first 48 hours, amplifying the myth.

2. Spain’s real AI policy landscape

Spain has, in fact, taken a number of steps to regulate AI, but none of these measures amount to a blanket ban. The most relevant framework is the Spanish Digital Regulation Act of 2024 (Ley de Regulación Digital), which includes a provision for mandatory disclosure of AI‑generated content. According to the Act:

• Transparency – Anyone who uses an AI tool to produce content that will be published must clearly indicate that it is AI‑generated.
• Data protection – AI developers and users must comply with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
• Liability – Content creators remain responsible for defamation, hate speech, or misinformation, whether the content is human‑ or AI‑generated.

The Act was signed into law by King Felipe VI on March 3, 2024, and came into force on July 1, 2024. There was no mention of a prohibition on AI content itself. In fact, the Ministry of Digital Transformation has been encouraging the use of AI in public administration, offering grants for AI‑based services to improve citizen experience.

Reuters’ fact‑check referenced the full text of the 2024 Act on the Ministry’s official website, as well as a press release from the Ministry that highlighted the transparency requirement. The ministry’s spokesperson confirmed that the ministry is working with the European Commission to harmonise AI regulations across the EU, but there is no ban in the current legislation.

3. Expert insights

• Dr. Elena Martín, professor of law at the University of Barcelona, explained that a blanket ban would conflict with Spain’s commitments under the EU AI Act, which aims to provide a framework for “high‑risk” AI systems while encouraging innovation.
• José García, a senior analyst at the think‑tank Policy & Innovation, noted that the public’s fear of AI content is not new. “Every year we see claims that governments are banning deepfakes or AI‑generated news,” he said. “The reality is that policy is moving toward regulation, not prohibition.”

Both experts agreed that the hoax likely stemmed from a misunderstanding of the transparency clause in the Digital Regulation Act.

4. Similar misinformation elsewhere

The fact‑check team noted that similar false claims have circulated in other countries. In March 2025, a fake decree from the UK government promised a ban on “AI‑generated content” that sparked confusion among the public. The UK government’s press office issued a clarification that the policy actually required disclosure and that no ban existed.

The fact‑check also highlighted a Spanish-language tweet from a parody account that had circulated the same screenshot under the caption “¡El gobierno ya prohibió los textos de IA! #Viral.” Reuters’ data showed that such posts contributed to a spike in traffic to the bogus blog, but the blog’s own analytics confirmed that the page was not a legitimate government source.

5. Bottom line

The claim that Spain’s Ministry of Digital Transformation has issued a decree banning all AI‑generated content is false. The only relevant regulation in Spain requires that AI‑generated content be clearly disclosed, but it does not prohibit its creation or publication. The screenshot that sparked the rumor originates from a non‑official blog and is an instance of misinformation that exploits public anxieties about AI.

Key takeaways for readers

• Always verify the source of sensational claims. Official Spanish government documents can be found on the Ministry’s website or the official gazette El Diario Oficial (www.boe.es).
• The transparency requirement in Spain’s Digital Regulation Act is often misunderstood as a ban, but it is a disclosure obligation.
• AI policy is evolving worldwide, and many governments are focusing on regulation rather than prohibition to foster responsible innovation.

By scrutinizing the evidence and consulting authoritative sources, Reuters Fact‑check demonstrates that the claim about a blanket AI ban in Spain is not only unfounded but also misleading. The story serves as a reminder of how easily misinformation can spread in the age of rapid online sharing, and how crucial it is for journalists, policymakers, and citizens to rely on verifiable facts.