{
  "id": 12370578,
  "title": "Italian PM files to trademark her voice against AI threats",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/italian-pm-files-to-trademark-her-voice-against-ai-threats",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-06T11:24:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Technology",
    "slug": "bbc-technology",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckly0g1ljq2yo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has filed to trademark her voice in an attempt to safeguard her identity against potential artificial intelligence (AI) deepfakes. The application was submitted to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) on Monday and can be accessed via their official website. The office confirmed the move.\n\nFor the application, Meloni recorded a four-second audio clip where she repeats the phrase \"Io sono Giorgia\" - which translates to \"I am Giorgia Meloni\" in English - twice. This phrase holds significance to the prime minister, as it was the title of her 2021 autobiography and is often used in her political campaigns.\n\nMeloni is not the only individual taking steps to protect their identity from unauthorised AI use. In January, US actor Matthew McConaughey became the first person to trademark his image and voice. Singer Taylor Swift followed suit in April by submitting three trademark applications in the US, including one using a photo of herself on stage during her Eras Tour and two audio clips of her introducing herself while promoting her latest album.\n\nIn August, over 80 performers urged UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to introduce legislation that would grant every person in the UK a legal right to own their voice. Notable figures such as Matt Lucas, Hugh Bonneville, and Nicola Coughlan joined the call for stronger protection against AI-generated voice clones. Voice clones are generated by training AI systems on recordings of real people, with quick versions possible from just a few seconds of audio, while high-quality copies may take hours to produce.\n\nMeloni's decision to trademark her voice is a precautionary measure taken ahead of Italy's general elections scheduled for next year. In 2024, Meloni sought €100,000 (£84,920) in damages after deepfake pornographic videos featuring her were uploaded online. A deepfake image is created by digitally placing one person's face onto another's body. Deepfake porn has become increasingly prevalent on the internet, causing significant distress for its victims. In May this year, Meloni warned about the dangers of deepfakes after several AI-generated images of her in lingerie circulated online. In her post on social media, Meloni emphasized the broader implications, stating, \"The point, however, goes beyond me. Deepfakes are a dangerous tool, because they can deceive, manipulate, and strike anyone. I can defend myself. Many others cannot.\"",
  "summary": "Giorgia Meloni submitted a four-second audio to a EU agency in a bid to protect her voice from deepfakes.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}