Case pp-deepfake-ad-begona-gomez-spainDeepfake abuseSpain
Spanish opposition PP ad uses deepfakes of PM's wife and other political figures
Spain's main opposition party, the Partido Popular, published an AI-made deepfake campaign video showing likenesses of PM Pedro Sánchez's wife Begoña Gómez and other Socialist-linked figures such as Zapatero and Ábalos appearing to admit wrongdoing, ahead of the 29 November general election. It drew outrage and a debate on AI in campaigns, and Gómez filed a legal complaint for identity theft against the PP, announced by Sánchez on 28 October.
MediumAttack using AIStatus: OngoingVerified case file
Open in the interactive mapCite this case
- Reported
- Oct 21, 2026
- Location
- Spain
- Target
- Begoña Gómez and other Spanish political figures
- Severity
- Medium
- Verification
- Reported by credible press or researchers
- Triggered by
- Partido Popular (Spain's main opposition party), per media reports
- Actor type
- Unknown
- Sector
- Politics & elections
- Reported loss
- None reported
- CVE
- None
What happened
Spain's main opposition party, the Partido Popular, published an AI-made deepfake campaign video showing likenesses of PM Pedro Sánchez's wife Begoña Gómez and other Socialist-linked figures such as Zapatero and Ábalos appearing to admit wrongdoing, ahead of the 29 November general election. It drew outrage and a debate on AI in campaigns, and Gómez filed a legal complaint for identity theft against the PP, announced by Sánchez on 28 October.
Impact: Public outrage and a wider debate on AI in politics ahead of the election. Leire Díez, depicted in a related AI video, says it falsely accuses her of hiring 'thugs'.
Who triggered it
Actor: Partido Popular (Spain's main opposition party), per media reports
Attribution: Media reports attribute the ad to the Partido Popular's campaign; the party's own account is not given in the text.
Motive: Political campaigning ahead of the general election (as reported).
How it happened
Attack vector: AI-generated video impersonating real people, published as a political ad on social media.
Root cause: A political party used generative AI to impersonate real individuals in campaign material, apparently without their consent.
Timeline
- Reported by AI Incident Database
Response
Begoña Gómez filed a legal complaint for identity theft against the PP; the Socialist party said it was considering legal action; Digital Transformation Minister Óscar López criticised the video.
Current status: Ongoing
Sources (open in a new tab)
- AI Incident Database theguardian.com
- El Español elespanol.com
Cite this case
Spanish opposition PP ad uses deepfakes of PM's wife and other political figures. AI Threat Watch, case pp-deepfake-ad-begona-gomez-spain, Oct 21, 2026. https://aithreat.io/cases/pp-deepfake-ad-begona-gomez-spain/
Permanent link: https://aithreat.io/cases/pp-deepfake-ad-begona-gomez-spain/
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