Senate passes a bill letting nonconsensual deepfake victims sue

The Senate passed the DEFIANCE Act, which would allow people whose likenesses are used in sexually explicit AI-generated images without their consent to sue the creators; the bill now moves to the House for consideration.

The Senate approved the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act, known as the DEFIANCE Act. The bill would create a civil cause of action for people whose likenesses are placed into sexually explicit AI-generated images without their consent. It passed by unanimous consent on the Senate floor and is now in the House after previously stalling there. Key facts: - The DEFIANCE Act would let victims sue the individuals who created nonconsensual intimate deepfakes for civil damages. - The measure passed the Senate with unanimous consent, meaning there was no roll-call vote and no senator objected on the floor. - The bill is meant to build on the Take It Down Act, which criminalizes distribution of nonconsensual intimate images and includes platform takedown requirements. - Sponsors cited recent controversies involving X's Grok chatbot and prior deepfake incidents as part of the background for the legislation; the bill was introduced by a bipartisan group and had passed the Senate in 2024 before stalling in the House. Summary: The legislation would add a civil remedy for people harmed by nonconsensual AI-generated intimate images and complements existing criminal and platform-focused measures. It now moves to the House, where congressional leaders must decide whether to bring it to a vote, and its final outcome is undetermined at this time.