Arabic version: ألمانيا تتحرك لتجريم الإباحية العميقة المزيفة بعد قضية بارزة

According to BBC News,

Germany says it wants to make pornographic deep fakes a criminal offence, after a TV star accused her former husband of spreading sexualised images of her online. Collien Fernandes, 44, has filed a legal complaint in Spain against her former husband, 50-year-old actor Christian Ulmen. The case has sparked a big debate in Germany about digital violence on the internet. More than 250 prominent German women have called on the government to protect people from “digital sexualised violence”.

Fernandes expressed frustration over the existing laws in Germany, stating that the country is “an absolute haven for perpetrators.” She highlighted that the legal framework in Spain offers better protections for women against online abuse and domestic violence. In her Instagram post, she detailed her experience with fake social media accounts that have featured pornographic images of her for nearly a decade.

The German Federal Criminal Police Office reported that one in five women and one in seven men have experienced digital violence in the past five years, with a significant percentage of young individuals affected. In response to these alarming statistics, Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig announced plans for a draft bill aimed at combating sexualized deep fakes, emphasizing the need for societal involvement in the issue.

The proposed legislation includes enshrining the concept of “yes means yes” in law, making any sexual act without explicit consent a criminal offense. Moreover, the introduction of the term “femicide” into the penal code is also being advocated by the group of women pushing for reform. A recent demonstration in Berlin, which drew thousands of supporters, underscored the urgency of addressing digital violence and the need for legal changes to protect victims.

Activists, including Josephine Ballon from the non-profit organization Hate Aid, have pointed out that the technology to create deep fakes is widely accessible, making it imperative for laws to evolve in order to safeguard individuals from such abuses. Ballon remarked that criminalizing the production and distribution of deep fakes is a crucial step in establishing societal values and ensuring human decency is upheld.