Denmark To Tackle Deepfakes By Giving People Copyright To Their Own Features

The Danish government is planning to change its copyright law to protect individuals from AI-generated deepfakes, which are realistic digital representations of a person's appearance and voice. The proposed law aims to give people the right to their own body, facial features, and voice, and to demand that online platforms remove deepfake content shared without consent. The culture minister, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, hopes the bill will send a clear message that everyone has the right to control their own identity. The law will cover digitally generated imitations of an artist's performance without consent, but will not affect parodies and satire. Violation of the rules could result in compensation for those affected. The government plans to submit the proposal for consultation before the summer recess and then to parliament in the autumn. Engel-Schmidt warned that severe fines will be imposed if tech platforms fail to comply with the new rules. He expressed hope that other European countries will follow Denmark's lead in protecting individuals from deepfakes. The proposed law is believed to be the first of its kind in Europe. The government is willing to take additional steps if platforms do not comply with the new rules. The goal is to prevent people's identities from being misused for various purposes through digital imitations.