Deepfake revenge porn distribution now a crime in Virginia

Enlarge / Silhouette of woman in front of laser-light projection. (credit: Getty | picturegarden)

As of today, Virginia is one of the first states in the country to impose criminal penalties on the distribution of non-consensual “deepfake” images and video.

The new law amends existing law in the Commonwealth that defines distribution of nudes or sexual imagery without the subject’s consent⁠—often called revenge porn⁠—as a Class 1 misdemeanor. The new bill updated the law by adding a category of “falsely created videographic or still image” to the text.

New laws in Virginia take effect on July 1. The state’s General Assembly passed the bill in early March, and it was signed into law by Gov. Ralph Northam later that month.