LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) —  Using a person’s likeness to create computer-generated pornography is no longer just disturbing; it’s criminal in Michigan.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the Protection from Intimate Deep Fakes Act this week, making it illegal to manufacture or spread AI-generated pornography of real people without their consent. The law took effect immediately, WLNS 6 News reported.

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Under the act, a “deepfake” isn’t just any edited image—it’s material so convincing “a reasonable person would believe it” shows the person depicted. That includes fabricated videos, audio, or images portraying someone’s “intimate parts” or sexual activity that never occurred.

The law allows victims to sue for damages and profits made from the fake. Criminal penalties are steeper: up to three years in prison and $5,000 in fines if the intent was to “profit,” “harass,” or “cause harm.” For context, “harassment” under the act is defined as anything that would cause “a substantial adverse effect on the safety, security, or privacy of a reasonable person.”

The law also shields internet providers and technology developers from liability if their platforms are misused.