Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has spoken out critically about the use of deepfake technology in political contexts after a controversial video shared by the Danish People’s Party. The video, which was released at the end of April, shows an artificially created version of the prime minister allegedly stating that the government plans to abolish several Christian holidays, including Pentecost, Easter, and Christmas. During a Nordic summit in Stockholm, where Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz also participated, Mette Frederiksen condemned the use of deepfake videos and emphasized that such manipulations can be harmful to democracy and public trust.
“It is not the truth that you see. It is not the real thing,” she said, adding that it risks portraying people in a bad light and undermining the fundamental trust in society. Minister of Culture Jakob Engel-Schmidt has announced that he will try to ban the production and distribution of deepfake videos using copyright rules. This step comes in response to growing concerns about how artificial intelligence and deepfake technology can be abused to spread false information.
The Danish People’s Party and their leader, Morten Messerschmidt, have previously defended the video as a satirical use of new technologies. “What we can do is show the Danes how to use the new technologies in a good way,” Messerschmidt said. The Prime Minister did not comment on whether she has reported the manipulated video to the police and emphasized that she generally does not comment on personal security measures.
The Nordic government leaders also discussed the region’s competitiveness and security during the summit in Stockholm, highlighting the importance of cooperation across borders in a time of technological change and global challenges.