DEFIANCE Act of 2024

Summary · Congressional Research Service (nonpartisan)

This bill establishes a civil cause of action for individuals who are the subject of nonconsensual digital forgeries (commonly known as deepfakes) depicting intimate activity or nudity. Under the bill, digital forgery is any intimate visual depiction of an identifiable individual created through the use of software, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or any other computer-generated or technological means that is indistinguishable from an authentic visual depiction of the individual. Specifically, an identifiable individual who is the subject of a digital forgery may bring a civil action against any person who knowingly produces, distributes, solicits, or possesses with the intent to distribute a digital forgery without the individual's consent. Current law provides civil remedies, including damages and injunctive relief, for the nonconsensual disclosure of intimate images. This bill makes all relief available for the new cause of action for nonconsensual digital forgeries and expands the relief available for both causes of action. For example, an identifiable individual may recover profits of the defendant that are attributable to the conduct at issue in the claim as part of actual damages. The bill also establishes a 10-year statute of limitations, but tolls the running of the statute of limitations until the individual learns about the violation or the individual turns 18, whichever occurs later. This applies to both current law related to nonconsensual disclosure of intimate images and the new cause of action for nonconsensual digital forgeries.