Denmark Proposes Deepfake Law: The Right to One’s Face, Voice, and Body in the Digital Age

As hyper-realistic deepfake videos continue to spread online faster than they can be debunked, Denmark has decided it’s time to draw a line. In late July, the Danish government introduced a draft law that would give individuals legal control over their likeness, voice, and physical presence in AI-generated content. If adopted, Denmark would become the first European country to directly regulate identity misuse in synthetic media.

The proposal comes as the number of deepfake videos online is estimated to double every six months. By the end of 2025, projections suggest more than eight million examples will be circulating online. In that context, Denmark’s model forces a larger conversation about what it means to own one’s digital identity.

Owning your digital self

Under the proposal, no person or organization would be allowed to use someone else’s face, voice, or body in AI-generated content without explicit consent. This would apply across private and commercial use cases, from entertainment and advertising to imitation.

Citizens would have the right to request the removal of unauthorized content and seek damages in court. The law would also prohibit AI-generated performances that simulate a real person’s artistic expression without their approval.

Exceptions are built in for parody and satire, in line with Denmark’s strong free expression protections.

Platforms would bear responsibility

The law does not focus solely on users who create deepfake content, it also puts pressure on the platforms that host it. If passed, the law would require platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to implement detection and takedown mechanisms for AI-generated content that violates these rules. Failure to comply could lead to steep financial penalties, aligned with the EU’s Digital Services Act.

Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt stated, “No one should be digitally copied without their permission,” and called on other governments to recognize the growing risks to dignity and privacy in the digital age.

A proposal, not yet law

This is still a draft law. It has yet to go before Parliament, but it enjoys cross-party support and is expected to enter legislative debate later this year. If passed, it could take effect in 2026.

Beyond protecting individuals, the law signals a broader policy shift. While the EU’s new AI Act sets rules for general-purpose AI, it doesn’t directly address identity manipulation through synthetic media. Denmark’s proposal fills that gap, building on copyright law to assert personhood over digital representations.

Who controls the copies of us?

At the core of the debate is not the technology itself, but the human being behind the data. The right to decide how our image, voice, and presence are used, especially when artificially generated, is emerging as one of the key privacy frontiers of our time.