government
April 2, 2025
Governor Phil Murphy signed the A3540/S2544 today to establish civil and criminal penalties for the production and dissemination of deceptive audio or visual media, commonly known as “deepfakes.”
“I’m proud to sign today’s law and oppose deceptive and dangerous deepfakes,” Murphy said. “Artificial intelligence has proven to be a powerful tool, but it needs to be used responsibly.”
Deepfakes are fraudulent photos and videos that are inadvertently manipulated by misleading images containing pornographic content. Bad actors abuse artificial intelligence tools to manufacture the appearance of others and distribute fake, illegal materials. Victims depicted in the content of Deepfake are often left to navigate these violations of privacy and trust, experience repulsion from peers and loved ones, criminally prosecute criminals and fight falsehood without the ability to pursue justice.
Under the provisions of this Act, an individual who creates or distributes deceptive audio or visual media to promote additional criminal activity has committed a third crime and may be subject to imprisonment and fines of up to $30,000.
Governor Tahesha Wei, who serves as the highest electoral official in the Secretary of State’s capabilities, said, “Deepfakes are a powerful tool for deception, a powerful tool that can undermine public trust. And election interference is not just an attack on the process, it is an attack on the very foundations of our democracy. What’s more, we do not tolerate attempts to manipulate democratic processes.
Today’s law was partly inspired by the advocacy of Westfield High School student Francesca Mani. Francesca Mani sought change after being targeted and sacrificed to her companions who create and share explicit images generated by AI. Governor Murphy spoke with Francesca and his mother in September 2024 to express his praise and support as he continued his journey to court.
“I’m proud to praise Gov. Phil Murphy for defending the AI Act since 2023 and joining Governor Phil Murphy to sign this into law,” said the AI Deepfake victim advocated Francesca Mani, the most influential figure in AI, the most influential figure in Time100. “I said this victory belongs to all women and teenagers and that it is impossible, it is impossible, it is just moving forward. It is proof that with the right support we can make a difference together.”
The main sponsors of the A3540/S2544 are former Congressman Herb Connaway, majority Louis Greenwald, and Sens. Ellen Park, Sens. Paul Moriarty and Christine Colad.
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