HR 1941
Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act
TL;DR
Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-NY) introduced this bill to make it a federal crime to share non-consensual deepfake intimate images (AI-generated sexual content of real people made without their permission). It creates both criminal penalties and civil remedies, letting victims sue for damages and take down the content.
How This Might Impact Your Business
Social media platforms, image hosting services, and content-sharing sites would face pressure to detect and remove non-consensual deepfake intimate imagery, likely requiring investment in detection tools
Generative AI companies whose tools can produce photorealistic images of real people face reputational and potential liability exposure if their products are used to create illegal content
Companies would need clear takedown procedures and response protocols, similar to DMCA workflows, to handle victim requests quickly
Civil liability creates litigation risk: victims can sue for actual damages, statutory damages, and attorney fees, potentially naming platforms alongside individual bad actors
Adult content platforms and dating apps face heightened content moderation obligations to screen uploads for AI-generated non-consensual material
No specific company size threshold mentioned, meaning small startups building image generation tools face the same exposure as large platforms
Enterprise AI vendors selling image generation to businesses should expect customers to demand contractual indemnification and safety guarantees
What Should You Do
Ask your legal team to review current content moderation policies and takedown procedures for readiness to handle non-consensual deepfake reports
If you build or deploy generative image AI, audit your safety filters and terms of service now to restrict creation of intimate imagery of real people
Review vendor contracts with AI image generation providers to confirm indemnification and content safety commitments
Track this bill through the House Judiciary Committee; similar state laws (NY, VA, CA) are already active, so multi-state compliance is already relevant
Brief your trust and safety or risk team on documentation practices, since civil suits will require evidence of good-faith moderation efforts
Who It Affects
Sponsors
Status Timeline
committee
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
March 6, 2025