Oregon lawmakers crack down on AI-generated fake nudes

Oregon is taking decisive action against AI-generated deepfake pornography with a new bill that would criminalize the creation and distribution of digitally altered explicit images without consent. The unanimous House vote signals growing recognition of how artificial intelligence can weaponize innocent photos, particularly affecting young people who may have their social media images manipulated and distributed as fake nudes. This legislation reflects a nationwide trend as states race to update revenge porn laws for the AI era.

The big picture: Oregon lawmakers voted 56-0 to expand the state’s “revenge porn” law to include digitally created or altered explicit images, positioning Oregon to become the 32nd state with such protections.

• House Bill 2299 specifically targets realistic-looking AI-generated images that “pretend to show a human being in a completely false situation,” according to Rep. Kevin Mannix, one of the bill’s authors.
• The legislation now heads to the state Senate and, if approved, would await Governor Tina Kotek’s signature to become law.

Real-world impact: Law enforcement officials have already encountered cases where current laws proved inadequate to address AI-generated explicit imagery.

• Crook County District Attorney Kari Hathorn described a recent case where an adult man in his 40s used AI to create and distribute a fake nude image of a 15-year-old girl using her clothed social media photo.
• “Unfortunately, because the image was AI generated, neither law enforcement, nor the prosecutor’s office was able to take action,” Hathorn wrote in testimony supporting the bill.

Enforcement approach: The legislation adopts a graduated penalty system that differentiates between first-time and repeat offenders.

• First offenses would be classified as Class A misdemeanors, potentially resulting in up to 364 days in county jail and fines up to $6,250.
• Subsequent offenses would escalate to Class C felonies, carrying maximum prison sentences of 5 years and fines up to $125,000.

Lawmakers’ perspective: Representatives from both parties emphasized the personal stakes involved in protecting younger generations from this technological threat.

• Rep. Cyrus Javadi, a Republican with nine children, noted how technology has already made high school more challenging than when he attended in the 1990s, adding: “For my kids and for yours, I want a future where their identities can’t be hijacked or weaponized by someone with a grudge.”
• Rep. Kim Wallan explained the reasoning behind the tiered penalty approach: “The people who tend to do this are young men who are frustrated with a situation, and we do not want to turn them into felons immediately their first time out.”