Law against digital violence 'on the home stretch' - Germany cracks down on AI deepfakes with landmark digital violence law
Germany is set to introduce stricter laws against digital violence, particularly targeting AI-generated sexualised deepfakes. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig announced the draft legislation on 20 March 2026, marking a significant step in closing legal gaps around online abuse. The proposed measures aim to protect victims and hold offenders accountable more effectively.
The new Digital Violence Protection Act will criminalise the creation and sharing of pornographic deepfakes. It will also empower victims to block accounts used in such offences and ensure degrading images are removed from the internet faster. To support investigations, IP addresses linked to these crimes will be stored for three months.
The draft law, now in its final stages, will enter the government's internal coordination process next week. Legal and domestic policy experts from the SPD have already welcomed the proposal, which draws inspiration from Spain's national digital protection and reporting system. Hubig's team has worked closely with the Greens to shape the legislation, though Germany's public debate on digital violence has not yet directly influenced similar laws elsewhere in Europe.
Once approved, the law will strengthen protections against digital violence and introduce clearer penalties for offenders. The measures will also improve how quickly harmful content is taken down. The government expects the legislation to be formally presented this spring.
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