There’s been a lot of head-scratching, hand-wringing and general consternation as of late about our new artificial intelligence landscape. For all of AI’s amazing possibilities, it can be—and often is—misused in nasty ways. And many people have been hurt by that misuse.
Deepfakes—AI-generated or manipulated videos, images and audio recordings that make someone appear to realistically do or say something that they never did—are a good example of AI misuse. Deepfakes are used for everything from political jabs and unapproved digital endorsements to something as foul as placing someone’s likeness in a porn-like context.
Not only that, but those deepfakes no longer require a Hollywood studio or some upper level of technological savvy to create. Deepfakes can be whipped up with a “nudify” app on some high-schooler’s phone. And not only can the results be emotionally devastating, they can also leave their victims feeling powerless.
Well thankfully, that’s changing—or at least it’s trying to. As of 2026, there are new laws at the federal and state level designed to pinch back on deepfakes and punish those who create them.
On May 19, 2026, for instance, the federal Take It Down Act will go into effect. It will require platforms that host user-generated content to create a mechanism for reporting deepfakes and then removing said videos or images within 48 hours. And it will make it illegal to publish sexually explicit images of people without their consent.
Looking at individual state laws, South Dakota decided to take things a step further with its Senate Bill 41—under which the creation, possession or sharing of deepfakes of non-consenting individuals (including adults) is now a felony. Violation of this law is also punishable by up to two years in prison. And while it’s only applicable in South Dakota, other states are looking closely at the idea.
California instituted something called the Delete Act, and it requires companies that collect and store users’ personal data—which can include pictures and videos posted to private social media accounts—to delete that personal information upon receiving a simple request. Affected Californians can now send a personal info removal request to more than 500 registered data brokers with just a single form.
In fact, 47 states have enacted legislation addressing AI-generated deepfakes. Not only are the state legislators trying to crimp the creation of deepfakes, they hope to also look beyond individual misusers—targeting generative AI platforms, cloud providers and the hosting platforms themselves. Bipartisan efforts in the U.S. Congress are also trying to mandate watermarks or cryptographic tags on any AI-generated content in an effort to ensure the authenticity of what we see online.
That’s all good, of course, but new laws don’t instantly translate into assured safety for you and your family. So what can you do to add a layer of protection?
As we here at Plugged In repeatedly say, good conversation and communication with your family is key. Talk to your kids about the things that are happening. Get them to discuss the idea of deepfakes and how those AI creations can be used to bully, deceive and hurt people.
Let your children know that some videos they see online featuring celebrities or other trusted figures aren’t necessarily real. In other words, seeing isn’t alwaysbelieving in the age of AI. You need to verify before you trust.
If a teen in your family has a fairly large social media presence, talk to them about how exploitive videos can sometimes be created with nothing more than a series of photos. And since every posted photo can become AI fodder, they should be thoughtful about what they’re sending out for the world to see and use.
Of course, none of these discussions should be about pounding the table and giving your kids nightmares. They’re simply intended to make everyone more thoughtful and aware of the online world that we’re all wading into. We need to do so with our eyes wide open, just like we would when we’re out and about in a strange place or with people we don’t know very well.
The bottom line is that our world is changing. And those changes come with new benefits and new challenges that we all need to be aware of. These new laws can help with the deepfake issue—and hopefully they will—but loving, sharing and communicating every day on our own homefront can help a lot!
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