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The DEFIANCE Act of 2026: New Legal Protections Against Deepfakes

Original title: Text of Senate Amendment 6162

Record date · June 24, 2026

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What This Bill Does

This proposed amendment creates a federal civil right for individuals to sue those who create, possess, or share non-consensual, sexually explicit 'deepfake' images or videos. It allows victims to seek damages and court orders to have the content destroyed or removed from the internet.

Why it matters

If passed, this bill would allow victims of non-consensual sexual deepfakes to sue for up to $250,000 in damages and obtain court orders to force the removal of the content, regardless of whether the content is labeled as fake.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Victims of non-consensual deepfakes

They gain the legal right to bring civil actions for damages and court-ordered removal of content.

Directly affected

Creators and distributors of non-consensual deepfakes

They face potential civil liability, including monetary damages and court-ordered destruction of content.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this law apply if the image is clearly labeled as a fake?

Yes. The bill explicitly states that an image is considered an '' regardless of whether it is labeled as fake or if the context implies it is not authentic.

What can I recover if I win a lawsuit under this act?

You can recover of $150,000 (or $250,000 in cases involving harassment or assault), actual damages including defendant profits, and reasonable attorney fees.

Can I keep my identity private if I sue?

Yes. The bill allows courts to permit the use of pseudonyms and to seal personal identifying information in public filings.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Related Legislation

congressional record

Senate Scheduling Update for S. 4784

The Senate has agreed to delay the vote on a cloture motion for S. 4784 until after the confirmation vote for the Schwartz nomination. This procedural

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Expansion of 2022 Appropriations Act

The bill significantly expands the scope of 15 U.S.C. 6851, which previously focused on intimate images, to now include AI-generated forgeries.

15 U.S.C. 6851

Connected Entities

Mr. Durbin, 15 U.S.C. 6851

PersonMr. Durbin“Senator who submitted the amendment.”Map →

other15 U.S.C. 6851“The specific statute being updated to include digital forgeries.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance85
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz60
Current news / social attention level

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