The case of Collien Fernandes has drawn attention in Germany, prompting renewed discussion about deepfakes in Luxembourg.
Fernandes, a prominent German presenter and actress, discovered hundreds of fake pornographic images of herself online as well as social media accounts impersonating her. She has accused her ex-husband, actor Christian Ulmen, from whom she separated in 2025 of creating these accounts as well as distributing the AI-generated material, allegations he denies.
In an interview with our colleagues from RTL Radio, lawyer Jean-Jacques Schonckert explained what is prohibited under Luxembourg law, particularly as not all deepfake cases fall under criminal law in Germany.
According to Schonckert, two types of conduct are punishable offences in Luxembourg. The first is identity theft, which includes opening a fake profile in another person’s name. Perpetrators can face up to three months in prison for this offence. The second is unauthorised access to accounts or the modification of data, commonly referred to as hijacking. Penalties for this offence are significantly higher and can carry sentences of up to three years.
Schonckert emphasised that with the development of AI, Luxembourg must ensure its legislation is well positioned and requires improvements in certain areas.
The lawyer offered the following recommendations for victims. First, contact the cybersecurity platform BEE Secure. Second, report the case to the police. Additionally, victims should inform the platforms on which the content appears.
Schonckert noted that investigations can sometimes take a long time and that perpetrators are not always identified. He confirmed that such cases have already occurred in Luxembourg.
He said he recently represented a case involving manipulation using deepfake technology and underlined that malicious intentions combined with technical capabilities form a dangerous mix.
