The Bottom Line
- AI Compliance is Coming: Spain is advancing its own AI governance law. Businesses developing or using AI systems must prepare for new rules on transparency, risk management, and accountability, likely creating a national framework to enforce the EU AI Act.
- Reputation Management Gets an Upgrade: An upcoming law will modernize the right to honor, giving companies and executives stronger legal tools to combat online defamation, false information, and other digital threats to their reputation.
- Regulatory Scrutiny is Increasing: The approval of these reports by Spain’s top judicial body signals that these draft laws are moving forward. Companies operating in Spain should proactively review their AI strategies and crisis communication protocols now.
The Details
The Plenary of Spain’s General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) has unanimously approved its reports on two significant pieces of draft legislation, a critical step in the country’s legislative process. While the Council’s reports are not legally binding, their approval carries significant weight and indicates that the government’s proposals are on a firm path toward becoming law. These new regulations target two of the most pressing issues for modern businesses: the governance of Artificial Intelligence and the protection of reputation in the digital age.
The first draft law focuses on the good use and governance of Artificial Intelligence. This legislation is Spain’s move to establish a clear national framework for the development and deployment of AI. For CEOs and in-house counsel, this signals the imminent arrival of new compliance obligations. The law is expected to align with the EU’s AI Act, imposing transparency requirements, mandating risk assessments for high-risk AI systems, and establishing clear lines of accountability. Companies using AI for everything from HR and recruitment to customer service and product development will need to audit their systems to ensure they meet these new ethical and legal standards.
The second piece of legislation is a long-awaited update to Spain’s 1982 Organic Law on the civil protection of the right to honor, personal and family privacy, and self-image. In business terms, this is about modernizing the legal framework for corporate and executive reputation. The digital era has introduced new challenges, from viral social media campaigns and online disinformation to AI-generated deepfakes. This new law aims to provide more effective and relevant legal remedies for reputational damage, strengthening the ability of companies and their leaders to protect their brand and public image from baseless online attacks.
Source
Source: Consejo General del Poder Judicial
