Denmark’s Ministry of Culture has sparked a political and privacy backlash after floating a tougher anti-piracy proposal that critics feared could effectively criminalize some VPN use.
But after the blowback, Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said critics had “got this bill completely wrong,” stressing he’s not trying to make VPNs illegal—and that the government would remove the VPN-related portion from the draft as it moves forward in consultation.
What the proposal targets
The draft is part of a broader effort to curb online piracy and unauthorized access to copyrighted media. While early coverage framed the move as a direct ban on using VPNs to reach geo-blocked streaming libraries or to bypass website blocks, the text itself is written in more tech-neutral terms—focused on using “equipment, software, or other technical solutions” to gain unauthorized access to content or services.
Still, digital rights advocates warned that vague language can produce broad interpretations in practice, particularly when enforcement is tied to copyright claims and website-blocking regimes.
Why privacy advocates are alarmed
Opponents argue the proposal risks blurring the line between piracy and legitimate privacy tools. Jesper Lund, chair of Denmark’s IT-Political Association, criticized the draft’s scope and ambiguity, describing it as having a “totalitarian feel,” and warning it could chill legitimate VPN use if interpreted expansively.
Lund also argued Denmark could end up going further than some countries with far more restrictive internet controls—comments he made in Danish media coverage of the proposal.
The bigger context in Denmark and Europe
The debate arrives amid a wider European push to tighten anti-piracy enforcement. Rights holders have increasingly pressured intermediaries—including VPN providers—to do more, and courts in France have ordered certain VPN services to block access to domains linked to illegal sports streaming.
Denmark’s draft stood out because it was portrayed as shifting more liability toward end users, not just service providers—a major reason it drew such immediate scrutiny.
Separately, Denmark has supported other measures that privacy advocates say could expand digital surveillance. For example, the EU’s controversial “Chat Control” initiative—aimed at scanning private messages for illegal material—has moved through key Council-level steps toward negotiations, though it has not been finally adopted EU-wide.
Denmark has also discussed proposals to restrict social media access for children under 15, echoing debates in Australia and elsewhere about online safety and minors.
What happens next
With the draft out for consultation—and the minister signaling changes—digital rights groups will be watching closely to see whether revisions meaningfully protect legitimate VPN use and privacy, or whether the final language still creates legal risk for everyday security tools.