Denmark to allow citizens to copyright features in fight against deepfake

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Denmark has announced that it will amend its copyright law to give people legal ownership over their faces, voices, and bodies, making it illegal to create or share deepfakes without consent. 

The proposed law, announced Thursday, is expected to pass with broad cross-party support and would be the first of its kind in Europe.

Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said the legislation sends an "unequivocal message" that individuals have the right to control their likeness and identity. "Human beings can be run through the digital copy machine and be misused for all sorts of purposes. I'm not willing to accept that," he told The Guardian.

The law defines a deepfake as a realistic digital imitation of a person's appearance or voice. It would allow victims to demand removal of such content and claim compensation. Parody and satire will remain exempt. Tech platforms that fail to comply could face heavy fines.

Indian battle against deepfake

India is yet to pass a dedicated law to address deepfakes. 

In 2023, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw promised rules requiring watermarking, takedown mechanisms, and platform accountability.

However, no legislation has followed, and the proposed Digital India Act remains pending.

Current legal remedies rely on scattered provisions dealing with cybercrime, obscenity, impersonation, and defamation—insufficient against the growing scale of deepfake misuse in elections, entertainment, and harassment.

According to a 2024 report by Pi Labs, there was an increase of 550 per cent in deepfake-related crimes by that year since 2019. The country lost nearly Rs 70,000 crore in 2024 alone in these crimes, the report claimed. 

Denmark eyes EU leadership

Denmark plans to introduce the law to its parliament in the autumn after a consultation period. Engel-Schmidt said he hopes other European countries will follow suit and intends to raise the issue during Denmark's upcoming EU presidency.

"If platforms don't respond, we're ready to impose severe fines," he warned.