UK Petition Aims to Protect Models Against Unauthorized AI Use

The British Fashion Model Agents Association (BFMA) has launched a petition titled “My Face is My Own”, demanding stronger safeguards against the unauthorised use of models’ likenesses by artificial intelligence technologies.

The campaign, backed by more than 2,300 professional models, argues that individual image rights must be recognised in law and that clear ethical boundaries for AI use in fashion and media are urgently needed. Without action, the association warns, not only models but also photographers, stylists, and hair and make-up artists could be exposed to exploitation by digital tools.

In its petition letter, the BFMA stated that the signatories “do not (and have not) granted any permission for their likeness, image, and/or characteristics to be used for any artificial intelligence purposes.” The association is calling for express written consent to be obtained before any AI use, granted voluntarily and under specifically agreed licensing terms.

At the heart of the petition is a warning about the UK’s patchwork approach to image rights. Currently, protections are scattered across data protection laws, advertising codes, criminal legislation, and performer rights. With no single clear legal safeguard, individuals are left with unequal bargaining power against commercial stakeholders.

By contrast, the BFMA points to developments abroad, where the EU and the US are moving to introduce stronger protections against non-consensual digital replicas and deepfake misuse. The association urges the UK government to take similar action in its forthcoming AI legislation.

The risks of inaction, the group argues, are significant: models’ images could be used without their knowledge, consent, or compensation, while the wider fashion industry faces potential job losses and long-term harm to careers and livelihoods.

The debate comes as AI continues to make inroads into fashion. In one example, Valentino collaborated with Vans on an AI-generated campaign that emphasised informed consent from participating models. In contrast, Guess drew heavy backlash for a Vogue advertisement featuring an AI-generated model who did not exist, with critics accusing the brand of sidelining real professionals.

These contrasting cases highlight the urgency of the issue. As the BFMA warns, without clear rules, the future of creativity, labour, and identity in fashion risks being reshaped by technology without the consent of those whose images are at stake.

Source Marketing-Interactive, 'UK models launch petition to protect likeness from AI misuse,' September 2025.

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