Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed a new law that defines deepfakes as digital forgeries and establishes criminal penalties for those who use artificial intelligence (AI) to impersonate someone without their consent.

The legislation, known as SB 649, passed unanimously in the state Senate and had strong support in the House of Representatives.

The law makes non-consensual digital impersonation a first-degree misdemeanor. However, if the act is committed with fraudulent intent, the penalty could be increased to a third-degree felony, which carries harsher penalties.

“With this law, we are sending a clear message: if you use artificial intelligence to defraud or exploit Pennsylvanians, you will be held accountable,” Shapiro said in an official statement. This legislation strengthens the state’s efforts to protect citizens from growing technology-related abuses.

Regulating Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The new law, SB 649, expands on SB 1213, previous legislation passed last October that prohibits deep fake pornography in Pennsylvania. This first measure resulted in the first accusations of sexual abuse related to artificial intelligence in the state.

The state of Pennsylvania thus joins the national trend of regulating the use of deep fakes with AI. In 2024, more than 38 laws were introduced in 18 states to combat this phenomenon. Additionally, in 2023, 80 laws related to deep fakes were passed, reflecting growing concerns about the impact of these technologies on citizens' privacy and security.

With the signing of this law, Pennsylvania reinforces its commitment to protecting digital privacy and combating digital identity theft in a world increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence.