Denmark Just Declared War On Deepfakes – And Your Face Is At Stake

by

In Denmark, a groundbreaking proposal has been put forward by the Minister of Culture, Jakob Engel-Schmidt. This proposal aims to grant individuals legal control over their digital identity, encompassing their facial features, voice, and physical form online. This move comes as a response to the increasing prevalence of AI-generated deepfakes on the internet, with Denmark taking a stand against such intrusions.

What’s the significance of this? If enacted, Denmark would become the first European nation to establish legal ownership over personal likenesses, empowering individuals to take down unauthorized digital replicas and seek payment. Failure to remove these replicas upon request could result in significant financial penalties for online platforms.

“Human beings can be run through the digital copy machine and be misused for all sorts of purposes and I’m not willing to accept that.” – Engel-Schmidt told the Guardian

The law applies equally to artists and entertainers, ensuring they are protected from creating unauthorized copies of their live acts or performances digitally.

Broad Parliamentary Support

Politicians concur: it’s no longer just science fiction. Supported by nine out of ten Danish legislators, this proposition is set to progress swiftly. The coming summer has been designated as the period for public consultation, with the formal submission of the amendment scheduled for autumn.

Engel-Schmidt is optimistic that other parts of the European Union might adopt similar measures, which could pave the way for pan-continental safeguards.

To clarify, there are already similar efforts in place across U.S. states and within proposed federal legislation. In May, President Donald Trump enacted the “Take It Down Act,” which prohibits the non-consensual sharing of sexually explicit images or videos, whether they’re AI-generated or authentic. If a victim requests it, platforms must remove such content within 48 hours.

Many Questions Still Open

Fortunately, humor continues to thrive, albeit with certain exceptions such as satire and parody which are allowed to persist – thus, your meme alterations and YouTube parodies likely won’t be disappearing anytime soon. However, slander, misinformation, or malicious deepfakes? Those are different matters altogether.

The legal terminology remains unclear regarding journalistic scenarios, leading to a lively discussion about media freedom and the importance of reporting in the public interest.

What about the scenario where a character or digital model bears an uncanny likeness to a living individual? Does the ownership of such a replica necessitate shared rights among identical siblings? Might this situation potentially result in bizarre or impractical legal conflicts?

Let’s face it: Does the law really give power to ordinary people, or is it simply another device that the affluent and contentious can manipulate?

A Good Step

Beyond the technical aspects, it’s likely beneficial to address the issue at hand. The technology behind deepfakes has become more affordable, often making them indistinguishable from real videos. Regrettably, this innovation has already resulted in tangible damage, including the spread of political misinformation and the creation of non-consensual adult content. Moreover, it’s essential to recognize that this issue disproportionately affects women, as research by Sensity AI reveals: 90% of deepfakes consist of non-consensual content, with 90% of that being explicit material featuring women.

If I stumbled upon myself being replicated in a Grand Theft Auto mod, or even more surprisingly, on an OnlyFans account, my initial thought would be a blend of shock and bewilderment. “How on earth did this happen?” I’d wonder, as I navigated the digital world that bore my likeness.

Read More

2025-07-04 21:09