In an attempt to combat the spread of fake news and manipulated videos, Minister of Culture Jakob Engel-Schmidt (M) has announced a plan to use copyright law to ban deep fake videos. These videos, which often depict public figures in controversial or untrue scenarios, have raised concern across the political spectrum in Denmark. The initiative comes after incidents where both the Liberal Alliance and the Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti) have used the technology to create videos with manipulated statements from Danish politicians. For example, a video from the Danish People’s Party showed a false statement from Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) about abolishing Christmas, while another video from the Liberal Alliance manipulated statements from the government’s top ministers.
“It undermines the democratic conversation and the durability of our democracy,” Jakob Engel-Schmidt told Jyllands-Posten. He added that even though the content of the mentioned videos was not directly harmful, they represent a dangerous slide towards mistrust and misinformation. The Ministry of Culture is investigating how copyright can be used to combat the misuse of deep fake technology, which has been a growing problem not only in Denmark but globally. Many international celebrities have also been victims of similar manipulations.
Deep fake technology uses advanced artificial intelligence to create convincing fake videos and audio recordings. In Denmark, the technology was also suspected of being used in a fake call to Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen earlier this year, where he was tricked into believing he was speaking with an African diplomat. Jakob Engel-Schmidt emphasizes the importance of protecting an individual’s right to their own voice and brand, and that manipulation without consent should be considered a breach of copyright.
With these measures, the government hopes to strengthen trust in media and political processes at a time when technology is advancing rapidly and often without the necessary ethical considerations.