The Danish government has unveiled a groundbreaking plan to amend its copyright laws to give individuals legal ownership over their own voice, facial features, and body, a bold move aimed at curbing the spread of AI-generated deepfakes.
In what is believed to be a first-of-its-kind legislation in Europe, Denmark’s Ministry of Culture announced Thursday that it would formally recognize a person’s physical identity as their intellectual property. This would give individuals the right to demand the removal of digitally generated imitations of themselves if shared online without consent.
Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said the proposed bill sends an “unequivocal message” that people have a right to their own image and voice. “Human beings can be run through the digital copy machine and be misused for all sorts of purposes, I’m not willing to accept that,” he said in a statement to The Guardian.
The bill defines a deepfake as a highly realistic digital reproduction of a person’s likeness and voice. It is set to cover both private individuals and professional performers, including realistic digital imitations of artistic performances. Platforms hosting such content without proper consent could face significant fines, and victims may be entitled to compensation.
Importantly, the law will not restrict parodies or satire, which will continue to be protected under free expression provisions.
With widespread political backing, nine out of ten MPs are reportedly in favor, the Danish government plans to submit the draft for public consultation before the summer break, followed by formal parliamentary submission in the autumn.
Engel-Schmidt expressed hope that other European nations will follow Denmark’s lead and hinted that the issue could escalate to the EU level if tech platforms fail to comply. Denmark intends to present the initiative during its upcoming EU presidency.
“This is new legal territory, but necessary in the face of rapidly evolving AI technologies,” the minister said.
Written By Rodney Mbua
