LANSING, Mich. — Today, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed two bills that will protect Michiganders from deepfakes.
According to Oxford Languages, a deepfake is "a video of a person in which their face or body has been digitally altered so that they appear to be someone else, typically used maliciously or to spread false information."
Governor Whitmer specifically made it a crime to create and distribute harmful AI-created images or videos that feature a specific person in sexual situations that never happened.
“As a county prosecutor, I went after people who used their power to prey on others,” said Governor Whitmer. “Now, as governor, I’m proud to sign these bipartisan bills into law, so we can protect Michiganders from this rising form of sexual exploitation. I’ll keep working with anyone to protect Michiganders from blackmail or retribution, because no one should have to live in fear. Together, let’s get it done.”
House Bills 4047 and 4048 are sponsored by state Representatives Matthew Bierlein (R-Vassar) and Penelope Tsernoglou (D-East Lansing).
These bills prohibit the creation of these sexual deepfakes, create guidelines for sentencing to protect Michiganders from this form of harassment and exploitation.
“With the governor’s signature, Michigan is making it clear that non-consensual intimate deepfakes have no place in our state. This law protects the dignity and privacy of every citizen and gives victims the tools they need to seek justice,” said State Representative Matthew Bierlein (R-Vassar).
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