HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania House today acted to stem the rise of “deepfakes” and other forms of digital impersonation by approving legislation that would treat them as forgeries punishable by law, said sponsors Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-24) and Sen. John Kane (D-9). These digital forgeries have been used to commit financial scams, injure personal reputations and disrupt the political process. Artificial intelligence allows individuals to create convincing images, audio and video of others, often without consent, that are nearly indistinguishable from reality.
“What we are seeing amounts to forgery in the digital world, an imitation with the intent to defraud, so close to reality that many cannot discern real from fake”, said Sen. Pennycuick. “The potential for widespread harm will only grow as artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated and more accessible. We must ensure law enforcement has the tools they need to hold perpetrators accountable.”
“I’m proud to see the House join us in taking this critical step to protect Pennsylvanians from deepfake scams that have already cost victims millions,” said Senator Kane. “This bill shows what we can accomplish when both chambers work together across party lines to address real threats facing our communities. Now law enforcement will have the tools they need to hold scammers accountable, creating a powerful deterrent effect that will make criminals think twice before attempting these digital deceptions. This is about keeping our neighbors safe from increasingly sophisticated digital fraud.”
Senate Bill 649 amends the current forgery provisions in state law to include “forged digital likeness.” Under the new provision, 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 be subject to penalties.
Legislators emphasized that the measure protects First Amendment rights and preserves valid expressions of parody, satire and other forms of free speech. The bill targets harmful impersonations while safeguarding legitimate artistic, journalistic and expressive works.
The legislation now goes to the Governor for his signature.
CONTACT: Matt Szuchyt, Sen. Pennycuick
CONTACT: Drew Henderson, Sen. Kane