Denmark is taking another shot at a law against unauthorized deepfakes, and this one puts the burden squarely on whoever hits “post.” According to Euronews‘s Roselyne Min, the country is moving to ban the sharing of realistic deepfakes of people’s faces and voices without their consent. Culture Minister Zenia Stampe put the problem plainly in a statement: “With artificial intelligence, you can create manipulated videos and images with just a few clicks and share them on social media.”

What bill L 49 actually says

According to PPC Land‘s Luis Rijo, Stampe introduced bill L 49 in the Folketing on October 8, 2026. It would amend the Danish Copyright Act from January 1, 2027, so that “realistic digitally generated imitations of a natural person’s personal, physical characteristics may not be made available to the public without the consent of the imitated person.”

That covers a person’s appearance, voice and movements. The burden of proving consent sits with whoever publishes the imitation. The protection lasts for 50 years after death, and courts could order unlawful content removed from the platform where it appears.

Take two

This isn’t Denmark’s first attempt. Copenhagen lawyer Jakob Plesner Mathiasen of Gorrissen Federspiel, quoted by PPC Land, explained that an earlier version lapsed after Denmark went to a general election. The new bill implements a cross-party political agreement from June 26, 2025.

What counts as “realistic”

The key word is “realistic.” Per PPC Land, an imitation qualifies when it is suitable to give rise to an obvious risk of confusion with a real depiction of the person. Neon green skin, pink eyes or a setting in an obvious fantasy world would generally take content outside the rule. Discreet fangs or elf ears may not be enough.

“Digitally generated” is read broadly. It covers AI tools as well as conventional editing.

A few other details matter:

  • Making one isn’t illegal. Publishing one is. Creating a deepfake is not unlawful on its own.
  • No intent required. Accidental or careless publication without consent can still count.
  • Civil, not criminal. A breach of the new section 73 a would go through the civil courts, not criminal prosecution.
  • Satire survives, mostly. There’s an exception for caricature, parody, satire and criticism of power, but not when the imitation is misinformation that could cause serious harm.
  • The AI Act still applies. The bill does not override obligations under the EU AI Act.

The big goal: faster takedowns

Stampe has been clear about who she wants to move. “One of the main goals of the bill is to get the tech giants to take down manipulated content quickly, so that it causes the least possible harm,” she wrote, as reported by Euronews.

According to Biometric Update‘s Joel R. McConvey, Stampe also framed the bill as “about securing the right to one’s own body and voice.”

Denmark isn’t alone

Other countries are moving too. Biometric Update’s McConvey reports that Australia is pursuing legislation modeled on Denmark’s.

Across the EU, Euronews’ Min notes that countries bound by the bloc’s directive on violence against women must criminalise sexual deepfakes by June 14, 2027. Denmark isn’t bound by that directive because of its opt-out from EU justice and home affairs rules. France already bans sharing AI-generated likenesses without consent when their artificial nature isn’t obvious or disclosed. And in the UK, creating or requesting non-consensual intimate deepfakes became a criminal offence in England and Wales in February.

Why creators should pay attention

For the creator economy, this one hits close to home. If L 49 passes as written, AI content and AI companion platforms serving Danish users would need provable consent before publishing a realistic imitation of a real person’s face, voice or body. “We assumed it was fine” wouldn’t cut it, because the publisher carries the burden of proof and intent doesn’t matter.

For performers, the bill would hand them a civil tool against cloned likenesses, including a path to getting content ordered off the platform. And because the right lasts 50 years after death, it’s something to keep in mind for anyone signing a digital twin deal.

The takeaway

Denmark’s approach is simple: your face, voice and movements are yours, and anyone who publishes a realistic fake of them needs to be able to prove you agreed. The bill still has to make it through the Folketing before its planned January 1, 2027 start. If it passes, creators whose likeness is their business get a real line of defense, and with Australia already pursuing legislation modeled on Denmark’s, the idea may not stay Danish for long.

Image: Christiansborg Palace, home of the Danish Parliament (Folketing), April 2022, photo by JakobSR, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons).