Denmark is taking steps toward enacting a ban on the use of “deepfake” imagery online, saying such digital manipulations can stir doubts about reality and foster misinformation.

The government said in a statement published Thursday that a “broad cross section” of parties in parliament support greater protections against deepfakes and a planned bill is expected to make it illegal to share them or other digital imitations of personal characteristics.

Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt, in a statement, said that it was “high time that we now create a safeguard against the spread of misinformation and at the same time send a clear signal to the tech giants.”

Officials said Friday that the measures are believed to be among the most extensive steps yet taken by a government to combat misinformation through deepfakes, which refers to highly realistic but fabricated content created by artificial intelligence tools.