Germany Criminalizes Deep Fakes After Star's Ordeal

0:00On March 24, Germany is pushing to criminalize pornographic deepfakes after a TV star accused her ex-husband of sharing sexualized images of her online. 44-year-old Collian Fernandez filed a complaint in Spain against 50-year-old actor Christian Omen, claiming fake accounts would explicit, photos targeted her for about 10 years. Omen is not facing charges and is lawyer denies the allegations. Fernandez spoke out in interviews, highlighting legal gaps in Germany that she says make it a haven for online abusers. She chose Spain for the case because of stronger protections there for women against digital and domestic violence. The offense reportedly happened while they lived together in that country. The story has sparked widespread outrage with a recent study showing one in five women and one in seven men face digital violence in the last five years. Some people are hit hardest, with over 60 percent of 16 and 17-year-old girls affected, yet only 2.4 percent of cases get reported to police.

1:03Justice Minister Stephanie Hubig announced a draft bill to ban producing and sharing these deepfakes, especially those targeting women. She stressed it's a societal issue that needs everyone involved and aims to help victims fight back faster in court. Times rallied in Berlin against sexualized digital violence, echoing calls for tougher laws like explicit consent rules. Experts note AI tools and apps for creating these fakes are everywhere and easy to access so new laws could shut them down and signal clear societal values. As the baits heat up, Germany seems poised to close these dangerous loopholes for good. This has been Global News Today, powered by AI.