The Danish government announced plans on Tuesday, June 24th, to update its copyright law to combat the misuse of AI-generated deepfakes, affirming that every person has the right to control their own body, facial features, and voice.
The proposal aims to offer legal protection against ‘deepfakes’ that reproduce a person’s image or voice without consent. The move has broad political support, with nine in ten MPs reportedly backing the initiative.
“In the bill we agree and are sending an unequivocal message that everybody has the right to their own body, their own voice and their own facial features, which is apparently not how the current law is protecting people against generative AI,” said Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt in an interview.
The draft legislation would enable individuals to demand the removal of any deepfake content published online without their consent. It also provides protection for artists whose performances are digitally imitated without authorization.
Engel-Schmidt warned that if tech platforms fail to comply with the new legislation, the government is prepared to escalate enforcement, including imposing “severe fines.”
Looking ahead, Denmark hopes to set a European precedent. Engel-Schmidt plans to use Denmark’s upcoming EU presidency to advocate for similar measures across the bloc.
