Denmark moves to give everyone rights over their own face and voice

What the bill says

• It would be illegal to make available to the public a realistic, digitally generated imitation of a person's face, voice or body movements without that person's consent.
• The protection would last for the person's whole life and for 50 years after their death.
• Private sharing, such as a clip passed around among friends, would fall outside the rule.
• Satire, parody and criticism would stay allowed, unless the imitation spreads dangerous misinformation.

The bill frames this as a right next to copyright that protects personal features as such. Legal commentators note that such a right could also be licensed, which would let people decide who may use their likeness and voice, and on what terms.

Where it stands

The idea goes back to a cross-party agreement in June 2025. Bill L 49 still needs a vote in the Folketing; the government hopes it can take effect around the turn of the year. If it passes, Denmark would be one of the first countries in Europe to treat a person's face and voice as something they control by law.

What it means for digital twins

The line the bill draws is the one TalkMie already works by: your twin is yours. You train it on your own words, you decide whether its page is public, and a voice is cloned only from your own recordings and with your consent. A twin of somebody else needs their permission, in Denmark soon by law.

Related: the EU AI Act disclosure rules and the NO FAKES Act in the United States.