Denmark seeks to give citizens copyright to their likeness to protect them from deepfakes

[Tasty1]

Denmark seeks to give its citizens protections against deepfakes with a first-of-its-kind bill, which would grant them the copyright over their likeness.

If passed, the measure would allow people to demand the removal of digitally altered images, videos, or audio that imitate their identity. Danish minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt noted that the law would give users the right to their own voice, their own facial features.

"No one can copy that without your consent," he said.

The proposal entered a public comment period this week and has garnered support across most of Denmark’s political parties. Lawmakers are expected to vote on the bill around the end of the year, with many observers predicting it will pass and become law.

The bill aims to tackle a growing threat of AI-generated content that imitates people in a difficult-to-detect and often damaging way. Other countries like the UK and South Korea are seeking to criminalize creating and watching sexually explicit deepfakes. But Denmark's bill aims to classify many deepfakes as an automatic violation of a person’s right to their own image and identity.

“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," Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt told The Guardian.

Under the measure, social media platforms will be responsible for removing offensive deepfakes. According to the Danish Culture Ministry, companies that fail to comply could face fines. However, users who post the content would not face legal penalties. Major tech platforms such as TikTok and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, have not yet commented on the legislation.

Since the law also includes safeguards to protect freedom of expression, there are exceptions for satire and social commentary. Still, the Danish government acknowledges potential complications, particularly in determining what counts as such.

“There is no objective test for what constitutes humor,” the Culture Ministry said, noting that disputes may eventually have to be settled in court.

Experts cautioned that implementing this law may be difficult in practice, especially since the law’s scope is confined to Danish territory.

“Malicious actors operate globally, making it extremely difficult to investigate and prosecute them at the local level,” said Francesco Cavalli, CEO of tech company Sensitivity AI, told the New York Times.

[CaptainHowdy]

My likeness should be outlawed . . .

[blackmonsters]

Nothing new really. Celebrities have always had a bit of protection against having their image/likeness used for financial gain. And individuals could always sue in court for
misuse of their image. This law will make it easier to win in court for everybody.