Bill > A06293

This bill establishes new legal protections against the creation and distribution of "deep fakes," which are digitally manipulated images that incorporate a person's face or identifiable body parts into pornographic, sexually explicit, or graphically violent content without their consent. The bill creates two key mechanisms to address this issue: first, it introduces a criminal offense of "aggravated harassment by means of electronic or digital communication" which makes it a class A misdemeanor to produce, distribute, publish, or broadcast such manipulated images with the intent to harass, annoy, threaten, or alarm another person. Second, the bill provides a private right of action, allowing individuals depicted in these deep fakes to sue for damages and seek injunctive relief to have the images removed from websites. The legislation defines deep fakes specifically as digitized images that are altered to incorporate someone's face or body parts into content depicting pornographic acts or graphic violence, and which are published without explicit written permission and for no legitimate purpose other than to harass or cause distress. The bill aims to protect individuals from non-consensual digital image manipulation that can cause significant personal and professional harm, offering both criminal penalties and civil remedies for victims.

Business and Industry

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A6293