Denmark proposes banning deepfake distribution without consent

Denmark has introduced a reform of its intellectual-property law that would make it illegal to distribute realistic digital imitations of a person’s appearance or voice without consent. The proposal would protect both ordinary citizens and artists and could take effect in early 2027; it regulates the circulation of such content, not its creation. Exceptions would cover caricature, parody, satire and criticism of power and society.

Danish Culture Minister Zenia Stampe said one goal is to have large technology companies remove manipulated content quickly. According to Xataka, the proposal would go beyond the European Union’s requirement to label deepfakes from August 2, 2026, backed by potential fines of up to 15 million euros or 3% of global revenue. Its effectiveness, however, would depend on rapid detection and removal, which people and automated systems cannot always perform reliably.