PR Ley 163-2026 / P. del S. 441 (Image Rights)
Puerto Rico Ley 163-2026 (P. del S. 441) — Right to One's Own Image vs. AI Deepfakes
Puerto Rico · Ley 163-2026 (P. del S. 441, 19th Leg. Assembly); signed August 3, 2026
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- August 3, 2026
- Applies to
- Anyone creating or distributing AI-generated likenesses or voice clones of Puerto Rico residents
- Enforced by
- Civil remedy via PR Courts
Puerto Rico Law 163-2026 (P. del S. 441) expands the island's right-of-image statute (Law 139-2011) to expressly cover AI-generated deepfakes and voice clones. Creates civil causes of action when someone's appearance, voice, gestures, movements, or other identifiable attributes are synthetically generated, cloned, simulated, or altered without consent. Signed by Governor Jenniffer González Colón on August 3, 2026.
Who is protected: Puerto Rico residents whose likeness or voice is generated/manipulated by AI without consent
Legal detail
Ley 163-2026 (P. del S. 441, 19th Legislative Assembly) amends PR's right-of-publicity / image-rights statute (Law 139-2011) to expressly cover AI-generated or AI-cloned depictions of a person's likeness, voice, gestures, movements, and other identifiable attributes. Senate vote June 25, 2025; House vote January 6, 2026. Conference reconciliation completed; signed by Governor Jenniffer González Colón August 3, 2026.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Puerto Rico |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | August 3, 2026 |
| Citation | Ley 163-2026 (P. del S. 441, 19th Leg. Assembly); signed August 3, 2026 |
| Private right of action | Yes, individuals can sue |
| Penalties | Civil damages (statutory schedule per bill text) |
| Topics | deepfakes · AI-generated images · non-consensual intimate imagery · consumer data privacy |
| News report | Gobernadora firma ley que amplía la protección del derecho a la propia imagen frente a la inteligencia artificial — Metro Puerto Rico |
More AI rules in Puerto Rico
- PR P. del S. 731 (AI Public Procurement Law) · Proposed / pending
- PR P. del S. 769 / Instituto IA (Express Veto) · Vetoed
- PR Ley 105-2026 (AI Elections) · In effect
- PR P. del S. 68 (Gov AI Framework) · Proposed / pending
- PR Ley 116-2026 (AI Bot Disclosure in Gov. Services) · In effect
- PR P. del S. 348 (AI in Schools) · Proposed / pending
Related deepfakes rules elsewhere
- Arkansas Frank Broyles Act AI amendment — voice and likeness protection (2025) · In effect
- Doe v. X.AI (Grok NCII deepfakes class action) · Blocked / in litigation
- xAI v. Harwood (Grok NCII Counter-Suit 2026) · Blocked / in litigation
- Arizona HB 2133 deepfake sexual content — vetoed 2026 · Vetoed
- Arizona HB 2678 — AI-generated CSAM criminalized · In effect
- MN HF 1606 AI Nudification Ban (2026) · In effect
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