German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig said the government is preparing a new law to criminalize pornographic deepfakes, accelerating efforts to tackle digital violence against women. The announcement follows a complaint by actress Collien Fernandes, who has spoken out about deepfake pornography and filed a case alleging identity theft and sexualized digital abuse involving her former husband.
Hubig’s ministry spokesman Eike Hosemann said a draft law is “practically finished” and will be presented “very soon,” aiming to close gaps in current legislation. “The aim is to make the production and distribution of such deepfakes a criminal offence,” Hosemann said, adding that Germany has been “lagging behind technological developments in this area.”
Hubig said the legislation would give police more powers to search suspects’ devices. “We want to ensure that perpetrators can no longer feel safe, that they must expect to be identified and effectively prosecuted,” she told German broadcasters.
The draft would make creating and distributing pornographic deepfakes explicitly punishable and include civil measures to make it easier for victims to act against platforms. Proposed measures would give victims rights to obtain information on perpetrators and to enforce account suspensions. Officials acknowledge enforcement will be complex because of international networks and rapidly evolving technologies.
Politicians across parties have backed stronger protections, while advocacy groups warn Germany’s legal system is not yet equipped to deal with this form of violence. The case has prompted broader criticism that the country is behind other nations in addressing online abuse; the UN General Assembly President and former German foreign minister told the Funke Media Group that Germany has fallen behind on online abuse protections and said she has also experienced digital violence, as have some 60% of women and girls in Germany.
What do we know about the Fernandes case?
Fernandes and her ex-husband, actor Christian Ulmen, were prominent TV personalities in Germany. They had been living together on the Spanish island of Mallorca until they separated in 2025. Fernandes discovered hundreds of fake pornographic images of her online and social media accounts impersonating her. She began to suspect her then-husband of being behind the abuse, as widely reported in German media.
The German Women’s Council said the Fernandes case shows the urgent need for reform, arguing the legal system is not yet prepared to handle this form of abuse. Fernandes has accused Ulmen of creating and distributing AI-generated pornographic images of her; Ulmen denies the allegations.
Edited by: Alex Berry
