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NOPE
Low reported severity Regulatory Action

Italy's privacy regulator warns broadcaster R.T.I. and bars further use of AI deepfakes of journalist Enrico Mentana in Striscia la Notizia segments

The satirical television programme Striscia la Notizia, published by R.T.I., aired segments in which the image and voice of the journalist Enrico Mentana, director of La7's news bulletin, were, according to the Garante, manipulated with AI systems so that he appeared in his own studio making statements he never made (its decision describes real footage from his studio altered by AI dubbing); a November 2024 preview describes one such segment. After Mentana complained, Italy's data protection authority (Garante) found on 23 July 2026 that the realism of the images, the low perceptibility of the alteration and the plausibility of the statements could lead the public to think the content authentic, and that the disclaimers were not clear enough. It found breaches of GDPR Articles 5 and 25, issued a warning to R.T.I. and prohibited further processing of his data in that way. The Garante noted the numerous mocking or offensive messages he received on social media. R.T.I. argued that the segments were satire, that it only dubbed licensed footage with a computer-generated voice, and that its disclaimers made the deepfake evident. No fine was imposed.

AI system
Unidentified video tool
Occurred
8 Nov 2024
Reported
7 August 2026
Event location
Italy
What the AI did
Depicted or impersonated the person
Reported harm
Reputational Harm
Whose AI use
An institution’s AI use
Setting
Work · Privacy · Justice
Evidence
AI involvement supported · Causal attribution supported · 3 sources, 2 underlying accounts
6 claims: 3 documented, 3 reported. 3 open questions
People reported harmed
1 person

AI system as recorded: AI systems used by the programme to manipulate the journalist's image and voice (the Garante); R.T.I. describes computer-generated dubbing of licensed footage. No product is named.

What Happened

The segments. According to the Garante, Striscia la Notizia aired segments in which Enrico Mentana's image and voice were manipulated with AI systems; statements he never made were attributed to him while his image was placed in the studio of the channel he works for. The decision itself describes his real image, filmed in the studio from which he directs an evening news bulletin, altered by dubbing done with AI systems in a way that did not make the alteration clearly perceptible. A DiLei preview of 8 November 2024 describes a segment airing that evening in which a deepfake Mentana, with voice and images generated by AI, commented on a game show.

The complaint. Mentana complained to the Garante about the unauthorised use of his image. As recorded in the decision, he said that many people believed the videos, broadcast on television and on social media, were real; that clips on the programme's social channels mostly carried no indication of AI or deepfake use; and that users' comments calling him stupid, drunk or a clown showed people believed the statements, causing serious harm to his honour, reputation and professionalism.

The broadcaster's position. R.T.I. told the Garante that the footage was licensed from La7, that its only intervention was dubbing Mentana with a different, computer-generated voice, that the segments were satire on a notoriously satirical programme, and that disclaimers and a press release made the deepfake evident. It removed the clips from social media after a formal notice and later reposted the episodes with additional warnings.

The decision. The Garante found that the realism of the images, the low perceptibility of the alteration and the plausibility of the statements could lead the public to consider the content authentic, that the warnings were not sufficiently clear, and that the real studio setting amplified the risk of disinformation, as confirmed by the numerous mocking or offensive messages Mentana received on social media. It found breaches of GDPR Articles 5 and 25, warned R.T.I. and prohibited further processing of his data in that way. It did not fine the company.

Reported harm

Italy's data protection authority found that AI deepfakes of a journalist on a satirical TV programme could be taken as authentic and noted the numerous mocking or offensive messages he received; it warned the broadcaster and barred further use.

How Harm Occurred

AI systems were used to alter a journalist's image and voice so that he appeared to make statements he never made on television and social media; the regulator found the content could be taken as authentic and that he received numerous mocking or offensive messages.

Outcome

Unknown

On 23 July 2026 the Garante (decision 10281021, announced 7 August 2026) found breaches of GDPR Articles 5 and 25, warned R.T.I., prohibited further processing of the complainant's data in the contested way except retention for judicial use, and asked R.T.I. to report within thirty days on the measures taken. No fine was imposed. Whether R.T.I. challenged the decision in court is not reported.

What remains unknown

  • Which segments the complaint covered and when they aired; the decision redacts the dates.
  • Which AI tools were used.
  • Whether R.T.I. challenged the decision in court and what measures it reported to the Garante.

What the evidence supports

AI involvement: supported. Italy's data protection authority, after an investigation of the complaint, states that the journalist's image and voice were manipulated with AI systems in the segments and that statements he never made were attributed to him; the broadcaster told the authority it dubbed the footage with a computer-generated voice. The authority found the content could be taken as authentic and cited the mocking or offensive messages he received, which is the reported harm.

6 claims: 3 documented, 3 reported. What the statuses mean

Documented Striscia la Notizia aired segments in which the image and voice of journalist Enrico Mentana were manipulated with AI systems, attributing to him statements he never made while placing his image in the studio of the channel he works for.

Causal attribution. The regulator's findings in its decision and press release; R.T.I. itself describes computer-generated dubbing.

  • garanteprivacy.it(opens in new tab) supports · Italian
    'per alcuni servizi di Striscia la Notizia, nei quali l’immagine e la voce di Enrico Mentana erano state manipolate mediante l’impiego di sistemi di intelligenza artificiale.'; 'Nei filmati venivano attribuite al noto giornalista dichiarazioni mai pronunciate, mentre la sua immagine era collocata virtualmente nello studio televisivo dell’emittente per la quale lavora.'
  • garanteprivacy.it(opens in new tab) supports · Italian
    'servizi costruiti prendendo come spunto fatti che hanno coinvolto diversi personaggi pubblici e accompagnandoli con commenti di vario genere pronunciati dal deepfake del reclamante doppiato con sistemi di intelligenza artificiale'; 'è stata utilizzata l’immagine reale del reclamante, ripresa peraltro all’interno dello studio televisivo da cui il medesimo dirige un telegiornale di fascia serale, alterandone la genuinità attraverso un doppiaggio effettuato con strumenti tali da non rendere chiaramente percepibile l’esistenza della predetta alterazione'
Reported A preview published on 8 November 2024 describes a Striscia la Notizia segment airing that evening in which a deepfake Mentana, with voice and images generated by AI, commented on a game show.

Causal attribution. A press preview of the programme; it establishes that such segments aired from at least November 2024, not which segments the complaint listed (the decision redacts their dates).

  • dilei.it(opens in new tab) supports · Italian
    'nella puntata di venerdì 8 novembre manderà in onda un servizio che vedrà protagonista Enrico Mentana, ma in versione deepfake, ovvero con voce e immagini generati dall’intelligenza artificiale.'
Reported Mentana complained to the Garante that many people believed the videos were real and that users' insulting comments showed serious harm to his honour, reputation and professionalism.

Causal attribution. The complainant's submissions as recorded in the decision.

  • garanteprivacy.it(opens in new tab) supports · Italian
    'moltissime persone hanno creduto che i video, prodotti da Striscia la Notizia e divulgati sul mezzo televisivo e sui social, fossero reali'; 'rivelano come molte persone siano convinte che le dichiarazioni siano autentiche, determinando con ciò una gravissima lesione dell’onore, della reputazione e della propria professionalità'
Documented The Garante found that the content could lead the public to consider it authentic, that the warnings were not sufficiently clear, and that the real studio setting amplified the risk of disinformation, as confirmed by the numerous mocking or offensive messages Mentana received on social media.

Causal attribution. The regulator's findings; the regulator's reference to the messages rests on material in the complaint.

  • garanteprivacy.it(opens in new tab) supports · Italian
    'il realismo delle immagini, la scarsa percepibilità dell’alterazione e la plausibilità delle dichiarazioni avrebbero potuto indurre il pubblico a ritenere autentici i contenuti. Anche le avvertenze sulla natura artificiale dei video non sono state ritenute sufficientemente chiare'
  • garanteprivacy.it(opens in new tab) supports · Italian
    'amplificando altresì il rischio di farne veicolo di disinformazione per il pubblico, come confermato dai numerosi messaggi di scherno e/o di offesa ricevuti via social dal reclamante'
Documented The Garante found breaches of GDPR Articles 5 and 25, warned R.T.I. and prohibited further processing of Mentana's data in the contested way, except retention for judicial use.

Causal attribution. The dispositive part of the decision.

  • garanteprivacy.it(opens in new tab) supports · Italian
    'Il Garante ha quindi accertato la violazione dell’articolo 5 del GDPR'; 'ha adottato nei confronti di R.T.I. Spa un provvedimento di ammonimento e ha vietato l’ulteriore utilizzo dei dati di Enrico Mentana con le modalità contestate'
  • garanteprivacy.it(opens in new tab) supports · Italian
    'dispone il divieto di ulteriore trattamento dei dati del reclamante con le modalità sopra descritte, eccettuata la mera conservazione degli stessi ai fini di un loro eventuale utilizzo in sede giudiziaria'
Reported R.T.I. argued that its only intervention was dubbing licensed footage with a different, computer-generated voice, that the segments were satire, and that disclaimers made clear it was not the real Mentana speaking.

Causal attribution. The broadcaster's submissions as recorded in the decision; the Garante did not accept them.

  • garanteprivacy.it(opens in new tab) supports · Italian
    'l’unica attività realizzata da R.T.I. è stata quella di disporre, con riguardo ai predetti filmati, il doppiaggio del dott. Mentana, con voce diversa dalla sua, attraverso appositi sistemi informativi'; 'la finalità dei servizi oggetto di reclamo è quella di esercitare il diritto di satira ricorrendo all’imitazione del reclamante'

Sources

3 sources inspected, from 2 underlying accounts. Sources that repeat one account do not corroborate each other.

How the sources were read, and where the events happened

Read in Italian by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-17 and translated by the research agent (an AI) into English; no human translator or reviewer was involved. Garante press release of 7 August 2026; HTTP 200. Applies to s1.

Read in Italian by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-17 and translated by the research agent (an AI) into English; no human translator or reviewer was involved. Garante decision of 23 July 2026 (doc. web 10281021), read in full; dates and names of counsel are redacted as XX; HTTP 200. Applies to s2.

Read in Italian by the research agent (an AI) on 2026-10-17 and translated by the research agent (an AI) into English; no human translator or reviewer was involved. DiLei entertainment preview, 8 November 2024; HTTP 200. Applies to s3.

Event countries: Italy. Affected-person countries: Unknown. Court countries: Unknown.

The segments were aired by R.T.I. (Reti Televisive Italiane) on Striscia la Notizia and investigated by Italy's data protection authority; the depicted person is the director of La7's news bulletin. His country of residence is not stated. No court proceeding is reported.

Reviewed for publication 2026-10-17: Published as a core case (depicted_or_impersonated): Italy's data protection authority found that a broadcaster's AI deepfakes of a journalist could be taken as authentic, noted the offensive messages he received, warned the broadcaster and barred further use. The journalist is a public figure who brought the complaint and is named.

People described

Enrico Mentana, a journalist and news director, depicted in AI deepfake segments on a satirical television programme

People reported harmed in this case

1 person

0 AI participants · 1 other person harmed

One person: the journalist depicted in the deepfakes, whose complaint the Garante upheld (decision 10281021). Viewers are an audience and are not counted.

Counted once within this case. The same person may appear in other cases. This count does not establish AI causation.

Tags

#deepfake#voice_synthesis#television#satire#data_protection_authority#gdpr

Cite this case

Compiled per our published methodology: verification statuses, sourcing standards, and corrections process.

APA

NOPE. (2026). Italy's privacy regulator warns broadcaster R.T.I. and bars further use of AI deepfakes of journalist Enrico Mentana in Striscia la Notizia segments. AI incidents. https://nope.net/incidents/2024-italy-tv-satire-show-ai-deepfakes-of-journalist-mentana-privacy-regulator-warns-broadcaster

BibTeX

@misc{2024_italy_tv_satire_show_ai_deepfakes_of_journalist_mentana_privacy_regulator_warns_broadcaster,
  title = {Italy's privacy regulator warns broadcaster R.T.I. and bars further use of AI deepfakes of journalist Enrico Mentana in Striscia la Notizia segments},
  author = {NOPE},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {AI incidents},
  url = {https://nope.net/incidents/2024-italy-tv-satire-show-ai-deepfakes-of-journalist-mentana-privacy-regulator-warns-broadcaster}
}

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