Federal law gives deepfake victims a right to sue—and recover $150K

What it does

This bill creates a federal civil right of action for people depicted in non-consensual intimate deepfakes and non-consensual intimate images. Victims can sue creators, distributors, or those who solicit such content in federal court and recover liquidated damages of $150,000–$250,000 (higher if the conduct relates to sexual assault, stalking, or harassment), actual damages, attorney fees, and injunctive relief to remove the content. The bill amends existing law to define 'intimate digital forgery' and 'identifiable individual,' extends protections to minors and deceased persons through guardians, and provides a 10-year statute of limitations.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is a federal civil cause of action for victims of image-based sexual abuse. It creates substantive rights and remedies, not a commemorative or procedural measure. The functional purpose is to protect individuals from non-consensual intimate imagery.

What the text implies

• The bill's definition of 'intimate digital forgery' requires that the forgery be 'indistinguishable from an authentic visual depiction when viewed as a whole by a reasonable person'—a high bar that may exclude crude or obviously fake deepfakes, potentially narrowing the class of actionable conduct.
• Liquidated damages are fixed at $150,000–$250,000 regardless of actual harm; this may overcompensate minor violations but undercompensate severe cases, creating unpredictable settlement leverage.
• The bill requires defendants to prove deductible expenses and profit attribution, shifting burden of proof on damages calculation—a plaintiff-favorable rule that may increase litigation costs and settlement pressure.
• Statute of limitations runs from 'reasonable discovery' or age 18, whichever is later; for minors, this could extend liability 28+ years, creating long-tail exposure for creators and platforms.
• The bill does not explicitly address platform liability or safe harbors; platforms may face pressure to remove content preemptively, potentially chilling legitimate speech or satire.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Ordinary people gain a concrete federal remedy against a serious form of sexual abuse that causes documented psychological harm, loss of privacy, and social isolation. The bill creates enforceable rights without restricting citizens' speech or other protections; it targets non-consensual sexual imagery, a narrow and harmful category. Victims previously had limited recourse; this expands accountability and deterrence.

Named in the bill

House Committee on the Judiciary, Section 1309 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, Section 2255 of title 18, USC, Federal district courts, State and Tribal governments

Where it stands

65 cosponsors: 33 Democrats, 32 Republicans.

• May 21, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• May 21, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

4 lobbying clients named this bill on 4 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $4,686,909 in lobbying spend. A filing names 18 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 72% of bills with at least one filing.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the sponsor, reported $35,650 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• Verizon Communications Inc and Various Subsidiaries — $3,050,000 on 1 filing
• Software & Information Industry Association — $1,396,909 on 1 filing
• X Corp. (formerly Twitter, Inc.) — $190,000 on 1 filing
• Bumble Trading LLC — $50,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.