In a rare display of cross-party unity, the United States Senate has unanimously passed legislation granting victims of non-consensual deepfake pornography the right to sue their abusers. The Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act, known as the DEFIANCE Act, cleared the upper chamber following a live unanimous consent request led by Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin.
The bill aims to establish a federal civil remedy for individuals whose likenesses are used without permission to create sexually explicit synthetic media. If enacted, the legislation would allow survivors to take civil action against individuals who knowingly produce, distribute, or possess digital forgeries with the intent to distribute them.
