Senator Becker Introduces Digital Dignity Act to Protect Californians from Harmful AI Deepfakes and Impersonation

Sacramento, CA — Senator Josh Becker (D–Menlo Park) today introduced SB 1142, the Digital Dignity Act, landmark legislation to protect Californians from the growing threat of harmful AI-generated digital replicas. 

The bill strengthens legal protections against defamation and impersonation using artificial intelligence and establishes new accountability standards for large online platforms that create and host generative AI content.

As advances in artificial intelligence make it easier than ever to create realistic images, videos, and audio of real people, bad actors are increasingly using these tools to commit fraud, spread misinformation, and harm individuals’ reputations and livelihoods.

“Artificial intelligence should empower people, and not be weaponized against them,” said Senator Becker. “No one should have their voice, face, or identity stolen by an algorithm and used to defraud others, damage their reputation, or violate their dignity. The Digital Dignity Act ensures Californians have real protections and real remedies in the age of AI.”

"As AI-generated deepfakes surge across the internet - fueling fraud, harassment, and reputational harm - Senator Becker has introduced legislation to draw a clear line: abusing AI to impersonate real people will carry real consequences," said Jai Jaisimha, co-founder of Transparency Coalition and sponsor of the bill.

The widespread availability of generative AI tools has enabled the creation of highly realistic digital replicas that can be used to impersonate individuals without their consent. These replicas have already been used to commit financial fraud, create non-consensual intimate imagery, falsely endorse products or political causes, and deceive employers and institutions.

In one widely reported case, a company employee was tricked into transferring more than $25 million after participating in a video conference populated entirely by deepfake participants. In another recent example, generative AI tools were exploited to create and circulate non-consensual sexual images of real individuals, triggering regulatory investigations. Similar deepfake technologies have also been used to fraudulently impersonate job applicants to gain access to sensitive systems.

The Digital Dignity Act addresses these threats by:

• Strengthening penalties for individuals found liable for defamation or false impersonation using AI-generated digital replicas;
  Requiring large online platforms that both create and host generative AI content to provide clear mechanisms for individuals to remove unauthorized digital replicas of themselves; and
• Establishing accountability for those who knowingly distribute harmful digital replicas that violate existing defamation, impersonation, or publicity laws.

The bill builds on existing legal protections while ensuring they remain effective in the era of artificial intelligence. It is designed to protect individuals’ rights while preserving free expression and supporting responsible technological innovation.

“California is the global leader in technology, and we must also lead in protecting people from its misuse,” Becker added. “This bill draws a clear line: innovation must be accompanied by responsibility, accountability, and respect for human dignity.”