Virginia’s ‘revenge porn’ laws now officially cover deepfakes
Virginia has officially expanded its nonconsensual pornography ban to include realistic fake videos and photos, including computer-generated “deepfakes.” The amendment was passed earlier this year and goes into effect today, making Virginia one of the first places with a law covering deepfakes.
Since 2014, Virginia has banned spreading nude images or video “with the intent to coerce, harass, or intimidate” another person. The amendment clarifies that this includes “a falsely created videographic or still image” — which could refer to “deepfakes” video but also Photoshopped images or otherwise faked footage. Violating the rule is a Class 1 misdemeanor, which carries up to 12 months in prison and up to $2,500 in fines.
“Deepfakes” — a term...