Up to 5 Years in Prison for Memes with Deepfakes

Lawyers warn of serious criminal liability for creating and distributing deepfakes involving blogger Igor Sinyak. Videos in which artificial intelligence replaces the appearance of relatives with that of front-line soldiers can be considered an insult to the memory of the country's defenders.

Creating memes based on such videos carries high risks. Legislation treats such actions as a violation of laws protecting historical memory.

• A fine of up to 5 million rubles
• Imprisonment for up to five years

These penalties are provided for those who use deepfake technology to create provocative content featuring public figures in the context of military themes.