(de-news.net) – The German Justice Ministry plans to criminalize the creation and distribution of sexualized deepfakes, aiming to close a key legal gap and protect individuals’ rights online. The legislation would also address broader forms of digital violence. In turn, the Family Ministry has announced a complementary public awareness campaign on social media risks, and the German Teachers’ Association has cautioned that outright bans on messaging apps are impractical, advocating instead for media literacy and school support measures.
By making the creation and distribution of sexualized deepfakes explicitly unlawful, German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) seeks to close a significant gap in the country’s criminal legal framework. She drew attention to the vast proliferation of AI-generated nude and pornographic imagery circulating online, noting that these materials frequently depict women who are publicly visible figures. The minister underscored that the proposed legislation is expected to cover not only pornographic content generated through artificial intelligence but also a broader spectrum of digitally manipulated media that infringes upon individuals’ personal rights. This is particularly the case when such content is designed to cause harm, damage reputations, or disseminate misleading or false information about identifiable persons, highlighting the increasingly complex intersection between technology, personal privacy, and legal protections.
Digital abuse to be treated on par with real-world mistreatment
Hubig further indicated that the scope of the law would extend beyond deepfakes to address other forms of image-based and digitally mediated violence. The proposed measures aim to protect stalking victims from the misuse of tracking or monitoring devices, including in the context of intimate-partner or domestic abuse. In addition, the legislation would explicitly prohibit the creation and dissemination of nonconsensual sexualized recordings in public spaces, recognizing the heightened vulnerability of individuals whose images are exploited without consent. The minister also outlined procedural enhancements for victims of digital violence, including expanded rights to obtain information identifying the creators of fraudulent online profiles and manipulated imagery. Courts would gain the authority to suspend or restrict offenders’ online accounts in cases of severe violations, reflecting an effort to balance legal enforcement with emerging challenges posed by rapidly evolving digital platforms.
The minister emphasized the responsibility of platform operators, asserting that substantial financial profits generated by social media and other online services are accompanied by corresponding legal and ethical obligations. She noted that, consistent with current European Union regulations, national legislation would impose additional requirements on social networks, reinforcing accountability for the content distributed on their platforms. Drawing upon her prior experience as both a judge and a prosecutor, Hubig highlighted that the damaging consequences of sexual abuse in the real world are mirrored by acts of digital violence. She stressed that no meaningful distinction exists between harm perpetrated offline and harm inflicted through digital means, emphasizing that any form of abuse—regardless of medium or method—represents an unacceptable violation of personal security and human dignity.
Social media awareness campaign to accompany age restrictions
Concurrently, Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU) announced the launch of a federal public awareness campaign aimed at educating citizens about the risks associated with social media usage, which is intended to accompany the introduction of a formal age restriction on such platforms. She indicated that pediatricians might also play a role in this effort, being positioned to provide guidance to parents about potential hazards during routine medical examinations. This approach reflects a broader strategy to integrate public health and educational measures into the framework of digital safety, emphasizing preventive intervention alongside legislative action.
Stefan Düll, president of the German Teachers’ Association, expressed reservations regarding proposals to ban messaging applications such as WhatsApp for children and adolescents. He argued that such sweeping restrictions would be largely impractical, given the centrality of these platforms to daily communication within families, youth organizations, clubs, and other community-based networks. Düll clarified that, under ordinary circumstances, teachers do not have direct access to student chats, except when incidents such as threats, harassment, or other problematic interactions occur, which are then addressed collaboratively with students and parents through educational or disciplinary measures. He further noted the inherent difficulty in reliably assessing the prevalence of harmful content within these digital spaces. Rather than imposing blanket prohibitions, Düll advocated for a combination of enhanced media literacy initiatives, robust support for schools in managing digital conflicts, and proactive protective measures implemented by service providers, emphasizing that these strategies are likely to be more effective in mitigating harm than outright bans.
Audio: TTSFree
