Germany is preparing to tighten its laws on pornographic deepfakes after a television actress accused her former husband of circulating sexually explicit fake images of her online.
Collien Fernandes has filed a complaint in Spain against actor Christian Ulmen, saying fake social media accounts with sexualised images of her have appeared for about a decade.
She says the offending material was traced back to Spain and chose to take legal action there because she believes protections for women are stronger.
Der Spiegel’s reporting on the case prompted a sharp response from Ulmen’s lawyer, who said aspects of the coverage were unlawful and one-sided.
Ulmen has not been charged and remains presumed innocent while he pursues legal steps against the publication.
The dispute has provoked a wider national discussion about digital sexual violence.
More than 250 high-profile German women from politics, culture and business have urged legislators to act, calling for measures such as enshrining explicit consent in criminal law and adding femicide to the penal code.
Official statistics underline the scale of the problem.
A Federal Criminal Police Office study found one in five women and one in seven men experienced digital violence in the past five years.
The figures are higher among teenagers: over 60% of 16- to 17-year-old girls and roughly a third of boys in the same age group reported such experiences.
Only a small fraction of incidents—about 2.4%—were reported to police.
Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig has announced plans for a draft bill aimed specifically at sexualised deepfakes.
The proposed measures would criminalise the production and distribution of pornographic deepfakes and make it easier for victims to seek swift legal redress and remove humiliating content from the internet.
The case drew public mobilisation at the weekend, when several thousand people demonstrated in Berlin against digital sexual violence.
Supporters read out a statement from Fernandes at the Brandenburg Gate, urging more transparency and protection for victims.
Digital-rights campaigners warn the underlying technology is readily available.
Josephine Ballon, director of the German non-profit Hate Aid, noted that AI image generators and so-called nudification apps are widely accessible, often at no cost.
She argued that criminalising the behaviour would also allow authorities to target services that facilitate abuse.
Lawmakers now face pressure to translate public outrage into concrete legal change.
Any new law will need to balance rapid enforcement for victims with safeguards for due process, as defenders of those accused stress that allegations must be properly proven in court.
