Newark, New Jersey – Creating and sharing deceptive media made with artificial intelligence is a crime in New Jersey and is open to lawsuits under new state law.
Democrat government Phil Murphy signed the law on Wednesday, setting the basis for lawsuits against perpetrators, the creation and spread of so-called deceptive deepfake media, a crime punishable in prisons for up to five years.
New Jersey is joining a growing list of states enacting measures aimed at media created using generated AI. At least 20 states have passed similar laws targeting such media, including elections.
As of last year, governors of more than 12 states had signed laws cracking down on images of child sexual abuse that were digitally created or modified, according to a review by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
New Jersey’s law stems in part from the story of Francesca Mani, a Westfield High School student who stood alongside the governor this week when he signed the bill this week. Mani said she was a victim of Deepfaak Video two years ago and was told that the only punishment for those who created it was a short suspension as there was no law against such media.
“Doing nothing is no longer an option,” Mani said.
This measure defines Deepfark as a video or audio recording or image that appears to a reasonable person to realistically portray what he is doing something that he doesn’t actually do to a reasonable person.
In addition to prison time at the time of conviction, the law establishes civil penalties that allow victims to pursue lawsuits.
