New Jersey governor signs bill criminalizing deepfakes
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Gov. Phil Murphy said New Jerseyans deserve stronger safeguards against rapidly evolving threats in the virtual realm.
This story was originally published by New Jersey Monitor.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation Wednesday imposing civil and criminal penalties on anyone who makes or shares deceptive AI-generated media known as deepfakes.
Murphy at an event in Newark said New Jerseyans deserve stronger safeguards against rapidly evolving threats in the virtual realm.
“Just about any bad actor can use artificial intelligence to produce hyper-realistic images and videos that can exploit children, teenagers, and, frankly, anyone,” he said.
The new law makes producing and sharing deepfakes a third-degree crime if they are used for an unlawful purpose — say, to harass or extort someone — with fines up to $30,000 or a maximum of five years in prison. The governor was joined Tuesday by Lt. Gov Tahesha Way and advocates like Francesca Mani.
Mani, a Westfield High School student who was a target of sexually explicit deepfakes shared by peers, helped inspire the legislation. She was recently named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in AI.
Mani said the boy responsible for the deepfakes featuring her likeness was given a one-day suspension, with school officials telling her there was not much more they could do because “there are no AI laws.”
“My response: Then I’ll bring you a law. Well, Westfield High School, this one’s for you. Doing nothing is no longer an option, Ms. Asfendis,” she said, referring to the school’s principal.
The measure first passed through the Legislature and landed on the governor’s desk in January, but Murphy conditionally vetoed it over concerns about its constitutionality. Lawmakers amended it and that version passed unanimously in the Senate and by a 64-13 vote in the Assembly.
Way, who also serves as the New Jersey secretary of state and oversees the state’s elections, warned of artificial intelligence’s potential to erode public trust during election campaigns. State Attorney General Matt Platkin also emphasized the office’s role in holding bad actors accountable, calling deepfakes a “powerful tool for deception when used maliciously.”
“Together we are building a future where tech serves the public good, not those who seek to undermine it,” said Way.
New Jersey is joining a growing number of states seeking to regulate deepfakes, particularly in areas of online harassment and election security. At least 20 states enacted laws last year to regulate political deepfakes.
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