Governor Phil Murphy has signed into law a bill introduced by Senator Kristin Corrado aimed at penalizing individuals who create or spread deepfakes unlawfully. These penalties are intended to safeguard individuals from the detrimental effects of deepfake technology.
“The public sharing of unlawfully generated ‘deepfakes’ can be just as devastating for a victim as having a real form of media disseminated without their consent. This is especially true in cases where artificial intelligence has been used to create pornography,” said Senator Corrado. She emphasized, “We have an ethical responsibility to uphold transparency in the digital age. With the Governor’s signature, we’re taking a crucial step forward to protect individuals from the damaging effects of deceptive AI generated media by holding bad actors accountable.”
The legislation outlines third-degree criminal penalties for the creation or distribution of deepfake audio or visual media for illegal purposes. Convicted individuals may face three to five years in prison, a fine up to $15,000, or both. The bill also allows for the possibility of a fine up to $30,000. Moreover, creators or distributors of unlawful deepfake media may be held civilly liable to the depicted person.
The full text of the S-2544/A-3540 is available online.
