Denmark Moves to Rein In Deepfakes by Granting Citizens Copyright Over Their Own Likeness

Denmark to Redefine Copyright Law in the Age of Generative AI

Denmark is pioneering a bold move in the battle against deepfakes and synthetic media by proposing new legal protections that would allow individuals to copyright their own facial features, voices, and bodily characteristics. This landmark initiative aims to strengthen legal safeguards as generative AI tools become more capable of creating highly realistic—but unauthorized—replicas of people.

How the Proposed Law Works

The Danish Ministry of Culture intends to amend existing copyright legislation to explicitly grant citizens the right to control and protect their unique physical and vocal attributes. This comes in response to growing concerns about the misuse of deepfake technology, which leverages advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning to create convincing digital forgeries. While the official proposal is yet to be tabled, bipartisan backing across Denmark's political spectrum means the new law is likely to pass, as confirmed by Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt. He emphasized that everyone should have an unequivocal right to their own body, voice, and facial features—a right current copyright frameworks struggle to uphold.

Comparisons to International Deepfake Regulations

Unlike the United States, where most anti-deepfake laws focus on election interference and nonconsensual explicit content, Denmark’s proposed policy directly targets the broader issue of digital identity control. As the US Congress debates whether to limit state-level AI regulations, Denmark is taking a proactive stance, potentially setting a new global standard for AI regulation and privacy protection.

Advantages and Implications

By enabling personal copyright over biometric identifiers, Denmark’s approach could empower individuals to take legal action against unauthorized AI-generated likenesses. This may deter malicious use of deepfakes in areas such as fraud, misinformation, and digital impersonation. For technology companies and AI platforms, it underscores a growing demand for responsible generative AI practices and robust content moderation. If successfully adopted and enforced, Denmark’s legal strategy could inspire similar reforms in other countries grappling with the rise of synthetic media technologies.