Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) will close a major gap in German criminal law by making the creation and distribution of sexualised deepfakes expressly punishable. Millions of artificial‑intelligence generated pornographic images and nude photos circulate online, frequently featuring women who have been filmed in public.
The proposed amendments will not only target pornographic AI images but also all fakes that violate personal rights. “Some of these recordings are intended to hurt people, while others seek to defame or spread lies. We will not tolerate this” Hubig told Spiegel.
Beyond deepfakes, the new law will address other forms of image‑based and digital violence. It will criminalise digital voyeurism-illegal sexualised recordings made in public spaces without consent-and protect victims of stalking from the use of tracking devices, especially in cases of intimate‑partner violence.
Victims of digital violence will enjoy stronger procedural safeguards. Perpetrators’ accounts could be blocked by a court order if they “massively violate rights”. In civil proceedings, victims will gain better access to information to identify the operators behind fake profiles and manipulated images.
Hubig also underscored the responsibilities of platform operators, who generate substantial revenue from their services. “They must comply with the law, and we have to set limits” she said, citing existing EU rules and stressing that new national regulations will impose stricter obligations on social networks.
Her perspective is informed by a long career as a judge and prosecutor, during which she handled numerous sexual‑abuse cases. “These are horrific crimes” Hubig said. “Now we see that digital acts can have equally devastating effects. I make no distinction between analogue and digital violence-every assault, wherever and however it occurs, is too many”.