Bill > A01280

This bill establishes a new criminal offense in New York state law targeting the malicious creation and dissemination of fabricated media, specifically photographic, videographic, or audio records (often referred to as "deepfakes"). The law makes it a class E felony to intentionally create and distribute a fabricated record of an identifiable person without their consent, with the intent to cause harm to their personal or professional well-being. The bill provides detailed definitions of key terms, including what constitutes a "fabricated record" - which must be highly authentic and indistinguishable from reality, created using technologies like artificial intelligence. The legislation includes multiple important exceptions, such as records created for political satire, news reporting, artistic expression, historical preservation, education, and scientific research. The bill also explicitly preserves existing protections for internet platforms under federal law (47 U.S.C. § 230), ensuring that platforms are not automatically liable for user-generated fabricated content. By creating this specific criminal statute, the bill aims to protect individuals from potential reputational damage, emotional distress, and other harm caused by maliciously created synthetic media.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A1280