Germany drafts criminal penalties for ai deepfakes and voyeurism

The german federal government approved a draft law to strengthen civil and criminal protection against digital violence, led by federal justice minister stefanie hubig. The draft introduces a reformed section 184k of the criminal code, which criminalizes the unauthorized creation of sexualized deepfakes, not just their distribution. The law covers ai-generated images and real photos that depict a person as naked or engaged in sexual acts, referencing the colin fernandes case. It also targets voyeuristic recordings, such as filming buttocks at swimming pools or while jogging without consent, punishable by up to three years in prison.

Victims gain new rights to request data freezes, account bans, and content deletions from providers, though these must be filed with a local court and incur fees. Critics, including the richterbund and many lawyers, warn the measures will overwhelm the already burdened judiciary and may be counterproductive. One critic stated, "Das wird zu einer wahnsinnigen Lawine führen und zu einer zusätzlichen Belastung der ohnehin überlasteten Justiz, des Justizapparates," arguing that the new procedural requirements will create a wave of cases that overburden the justice system, potentially undermining the law's effectiveness.