New Jersey has made it a crime to create and share deceptive media generated by artificial intelligence, under new legislation signed by Governor Phil Murphy. The law, aimed at deepfake videos and images, carries penalties of up to five years in prison and allows victims to file civil lawsuits against offenders.
With this move, New Jersey joins over 20 other states that have passed laws targeting AI-generated content, especially concerning elections and digitally manipulated child sexual abuse imagery. The new law defines deepfakes as media that convincingly portray individuals doing things they never actually did.
The legislation was inspired in part by Francesca Mani, a student at Westfield High School, who became a deepfake victim two years ago. Mani, who advocated for the bill and was named an anti-deepfake activist by Time, said her case prompted action after the perpetrator received only a brief suspension due to the absence of legal protections at the time.
“Doing nothing is no longer an option,” Mani said during the bill signing.
The law not only criminalizes deceptive deepfake creation and distribution but also opens the door for victims to seek justice through civil litigation.
Source: Swifteradio.com
