German actress Collien Ulmen-Fernandes
Explosive accusations by German actress Collien Ulmen-Fernandes have reignited the debate about limiting pornography generated by artificial intelligence.
One of Germany’s best-known actresses alleged that her ex-husband, a television presenter, published fake pornographic images online, created using deepfake technology, and triggered protests demanding that the Government strengthen legislation on digital violence against women.
The case dominated attention in Germany, notes , and “exposed outrage at what activists consider glaring flaws in criminal law”.
In explosive accusations published last week in l under the headline “You virtually raped me”, the popular actress Collien Fernandes alleged that her ex-husband, Christian Ulmenhad secretly created online accounts in his name and used those accounts to share with 30 other men explicit, false images, generated with deepfake technology, in which he appeared.
Fernandes also alleges that Ulmen resorted to computer generated audio to imitate your voice on sex calls on the phone with some of these men. The presenter, who denies the accusations, was not formally charged.
Fernandes I knew for many years about the existence of fake images and, in 2024, she talked about them and the impact they had on her in a documentary about abuse using deepfakes. That Christmas, after reporting the situation to the police, he said that Ulmen confessed to being the author of the abuse.
Ulmen never “produced and/or distributed deepfake videos of Ms. Fernandes or anyone else. Any allegations to that effect are false,” his lawyers told the BBC.
They also added that Ulmen will move forward in court against Der Spiegel for having published “false facts” and “inadmissible coverage based on suspicion”.
Christian Ulmen com Collien Ulmen-Fernandes
Fernandes’ allegations shocked Germanyin a similar way to the way it shook France, says .
Crowds gathered in protests and demonstrations in several cities called for tighter legal restrictions on the creation and distribution of deepfake pornography. They believe that politicians have not done enough to stop this type of digital abuse.
The scandal “is also increase political pressure about the chancellor Friedrich Merzlong accused of being disconnected from the concerns of younger voters and women,” says the BBC.
The Minister of Justice, Stefanie Hubighas now announced plans to transpose into German law a European Union directive banning non-consensual deepfake pornography, and to make both production and distribution of that material in a specific crime, punishable by up to two years in prison.
