New Pa. law carries harsh penalties for deepfakes of minors [Video]

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — Officials in Montgomery County are alerting the public about a new Pennsylvania law that explicitly outlaws deepfakes and artificial intelligence-generated pornography.

The new law closes a loophole in Pennsylvania by clearly prohibiting the creation and distribution of deepfake pornography. Montgomery County-based state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick said the law protects adults and children but is especially focused on minors.

“This technology can turn photos such as those from a public media post or a high school yearbook into deeply harmful sexually explicit materials,” she said.

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said they want to get the word out about the new law because while someone — especially a juvenile — might think it’s a simple prank, there are real victims. And, the new law carries stiff penalties, even for minors.

“This isn’t kids messing around like we’ve seen in some of our neighboring counties,” he said. “Generated pictures of …