The Danish culture ministry announced last week that the move had been agreed by the three-party government coalition as well as six opposition parties, together holding more than 80 per cent of seats in parliament.

New legislation will make it illegal to share deepfakes and other digital imitations of personal characteristics, though there will be certain exceptions for parodies and satire.

Performing artists will also receive better protection, making it illegal to share realistic digital imitations of their performances in the future.

The government’s proposed amendment to the Danish Copyright Act will soon be published for consultation.

Jakob Engel-Schmidt, the culture minister, said: “I am immensely proud that we are now sending an unambiguous signal to all citizens that you have the right to your own body, your own voice, and your own facial features.

“At a time when technology has outpaced legislation, I am pleased that so many parties in parliament are joining forces to protect both artists and ordinary people from digital identity theft — something that can now be done with just a few clicks.

“We must not accept a future where people can be run through a digital copy machine and misused for all sorts of purposes.

“Technology is evolving rapidly, and in the future, it will become even harder to distinguish reality from fiction in the digital world. That’s why it is high time we put up safeguards against the spread of misinformation and send a clear message to the tech giants.”