HONOR Act

House Votes

This bill updates military law to stop the nonconsensual sharing or posting of intimate images and AI-made “deepfake” images. It applies to people under military law. For adults, it bans sharing private intimate images or deepfakes without consent when the person had a reasonable expectation of privacy, the content isn’t public or newsworthy, and the sharing is meant to cause harm or does cause harm, like emotional, financial, or reputation damage. For minors, it bans sharing intimate images or deepfakes done to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, or for sexual gratification. Violations can be punished by court-martial.

The bill also makes clear that saying yes to taking an image does not mean you agreed to share it, and giving it to one person does not mean you agreed they could share it further. “Digital forgery” covers AI or software-made images that look real. The bill lists common-sense exceptions, like reporting to law enforcement, using images in court filings or medical/education settings, seeking help or support, helping the person in the image, or posting your own images.

• Who is affected: People under military law (service members and others covered by the military justice system)
• What’s banned: Sharing or posting intimate images or AI-made deepfakes without consent; for adults, when it’s meant to harm or does harm; for minors, when done to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, or for sexual gratification
• Consent rules: Consent to create is not consent to share; sharing with one person does not mean permission to share further
• Exceptions: Lawful law enforcement or intelligence work; good-faith reports to authorities; legal, medical, scientific, or educational uses; seeking help or assisting the person; posting your own images