Senate passes DEFIANCE Act allowing deepfake victims to sue creators for $150,000 in damages

The Senate passes the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act — the DEFIANCE Act — by voice vote, sending it to the House. The law creates a federal civil cause of action for victims of non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery, allowing suits for up to $150,000 in statutory damages plus attorney's fees. The bill is authored by Sen. Dick Durbin and supported by both parties. It responds to a surge in AI-generated intimate images targeting women, celebrities, and public figures. President Trump signs it into law. The DEFIANCE Act is the first federal law specifically targeting AI-generated content used to harm individuals.