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Creates a federal civil cause of action allowing an identifiable person to sue when sexually intimate images or “intimate digital forgeries” (deepfakes) of them are disclosed or shown without their consent, particularly when interstate commerce is involved. The law defines covered terms, identifies liable parties, authorizes money damages, attorneys’ fees, injunctions and orders to delete or stop displaying the material, and allows courts to protect plaintiffs’ privacy during proceedings.
The bill preserves State and Tribal remedies, limits duplicate recovery, sets a 10-year statute of limitations for bringing claims, and includes a severability rule and an explicit statement that it does not change intellectual property law.
Received in the House.
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Introduced May 21, 2025 by Richard Joseph Durbin · Last progress January 13, 2026
DEFIANCE Act of 2025