Bill > S01822

This bill amends both the New York Penal Law and Civil Rights Law to explicitly prevent individuals from using free speech protections as a legal defense when they are sued or prosecuted for unlawfully disseminating or publishing intimate images. Specifically, the bill adds language to two existing sections of law that makes it clear that First Amendment free speech arguments cannot be used to justify the unauthorized sharing of private, intimate images of another person. This means that in both criminal and civil cases involving the non-consensual distribution of intimate images (often referred to as "revenge porn"), defendants will no longer be able to argue that their actions are protected by free speech rights. The legislation aims to provide stronger legal protections for individuals whose private, intimate images are shared without their consent, by removing a potential procedural defense that could previously have been used to dismiss such cases. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1822