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Denmark to Tackle Deepfakes by Giving People Copyright to Their Own Features
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Denmark to tackle deepfakes by giving people copyright to their own features [theguardian.com]:
Deepfakes of the late Pope Francis [theguardian.com] went viral in recent years prior to his death, fuelling the debate over AI-generated images. Illustration: RedditView image in fullscreenDeepfakes of the late Pope Francis [theguardian.com] went viral in recent years prior to his death, fuelling the debate over AI-generated images. Illustration: Reddit This article is more than 1 month oldDenmark to tackle deepfakes by giving people copyright to their own features This article is more than 1 month old
Amendment to law will strengthen protection against digital imitations of people’s identities, government says
The Danish government is to clamp down on the creation and dissemination of AI-generated deepfakes by changing copyright law to ensure that everybody has the right to their own body, facial features and voice.
The Danish government said on Thursday it would strengthen protection against digital imitations of people’s identities with what it believes to be the first law of its kind in Europe [theguardian.com].
Having secured broad cross-party agreement, the department of culture plans to submit a proposal to amend the current law for consultation before the summer recess and then submit the amendment in the autumn.
It defines a deepfake as a very realistic digital representation of a person, including their appearance and voice.
The Danish culture minister, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, said he hoped the bill before parliament would send an “unequivocal message” that everybody had the right to the way they looked and sounded.
He told the Guardian: “In the bill we agree and are sending an unequivocal message that everybody has the right to their own body, their own voice and their own facial features, which is apparently not how the current law is protecting people against generative AI.”
He added: “Human beings can be run through the digital copy machine and be misused for all sorts of purposes and I’m not willing to accept that.”
The move, which is believed to have the backing of nine in 10 MPs, comes amid rapidly developing AI technology that has made it easier than ever to create a convincing fake image, video or sound to mimic the features of another person.
The changes to Danish copyright law will, once approved, theoretically give people in Denmark [theguardian.com] the right to demand that online platforms remove such content if it is shared without consent.
It will also cover “realistic, digitally generated imitations” of an artist’s performance without consent. Violation of the proposed rules could result in compensation for those affected.
The government said the new rules would not affect parodies and satire, which would still be permitted.
“Of course this is new ground we are breaking, and if the platforms are not complying with that, we are willing to take additional steps,” said Engel-Schmidt.
Other European countries, he hopes, will follow Denmark’s lead. He plans to use Denmark’s forthcoming EU presidency to share its plans with his European counterparts.
If tech platforms do not respond accordingly to the new law, they could be subject to “severe fines”, he said, and it could become a matter for the European Commission. “That is why I believe the tech platforms will take this very seriously indeed,” he added.
If tech platforms do not respond accordingly to the new law, they could be subject to “severe fines”, he said, and it could become a matter for the European Commission. “That is why I believe the tech platforms will take this very seriously indeed,” he added.
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Denmark Is Fighting AI by Giving Citizens Copyright to Their Own Faces [vice.com]:
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Your image, your voice, and your essence as a human being could be gobbled up and regurgitated by AI. The clock is ticking on when you’re control over your image and representation is completely out of your hands.
To tip the scales back in favor of those who wish to remain in firm control of their image, Denmark has put forth a proposal that would give every one of its citizens the legal ground to go after someone who uses their image without their consent.
This specifically covers deepfakes [vice.com], those videos of a person’s face or body that have been digitally altered so they appear to be someone else.
The Scandinavian nation has put forth a proposal to amend its copyright laws so that everyone owns the rights to their own face, their own voice, and their body. Current laws aren’t quite up to snuff when it comes to protecting people from having their likenesses twisted and contorted.
Denmark Is Giving Citizens Copyright to Their Own Faces
Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt is taking a stand for all of those whose likeness has been callously tossed into images and videos without their consent. “Human beings can be run through the digital copy machine and be misused for all sorts of purposes, and I’m not willing to accept that,” he told The Guardian.
The proposed legislation defines a deepfake as a realistic digital representation of a person, including their appearance and voice. Under this new law, anyone in Denmark will be able to demand the removal of such content if it was shared without consent, including digitally recreated performances of artists.
Compensation may be on the table for those affected. Satire and parody, however, get a free pass, though it’s easy to imagine a future where this is a loophole that some will attempt to exploit.
The bill has massive political support, with nine out of ten MPs backing it. It’s poised to hit parliament in the fall after a consultation period. If tech platforms don’t fall in line, Denmark is ready to slap some massive fines on them and escalate the matter to the European Commission.
Engel-Schmidt hopes other European countries will follow suit.
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