HARRISBURG – A bill that would treat “deepfakes” and other forms of digital impersonation as forgeries punishable by law has been signed into law by the governor. Technology such as artificial intelligence allows persons to create convincing images, audio, and video of others, often without consent, that are nearly indistinguishable from reality. These digital forgeries have been used to commit financial scams, injure personal reputations, and disrupt the political process. Senate Bill 649, now Act 35, amends the current forgery provisions in state law to include “forged digital likeness.” If someone creates a digital representation of a real person without their consent and distributes it as genuine, with the intent to defraud or injure, they would face a third degree felony.
