Denmark Copyrights Faces: New Law Targets Deepfakes

Denmark Proposes New Copyright Law to Protect Personal Biometrics

The government of Denmark is initiating changes to its copyright legislation. These changes aim to grant citizens ownership rights over their own physical attributes, including their body, facial characteristics, and voice.

This significant legal development is intended to bolster defenses against the creation and spread of deepfakes, as reported by The Guardian.

Securing Cross-Party Support

While Denmark’s Ministry of Culture is still formulating a formal proposal for legal amendment, it has already achieved consensus across political parties.

Jakob Engel-Schmidt, the Danish Minister of Culture, explained to The Guardian that the proposed bill sends a clear message. It affirms that individuals possess inherent rights to their own body, voice, and facial features – rights that current legislation inadequately safeguards against the challenges posed by generative AI.

Comparison to Deepfake Laws in the United States

Several states within the U.S. have already enacted laws addressing deepfakes.

These laws primarily focus on preventing misuse during electoral processes and the creation of non-consensual explicit material.

However, many of these state-level regulations are now potentially jeopardized. This is due to a current proposal within a new U.S. federal budget reconciliation bill.

The proposed bill under consideration by Congress could preempt state authority to regulate AI for a period of ten years.

Key Takeaways

• Denmark is proactively addressing the risks of deepfakes through copyright law.
• The proposed legislation focuses on individual ownership of biometric data.
• The U.S. faces potential setbacks in state-level deepfake regulation.
• A federal bill could limit states’ ability to govern AI technologies.