Mace: Deepfake Porn Is Digital Rape—Congress Must Act

Reintroducing our bill targeting AI-generated sexual exploitation and urges urgent modernization of the Violence Against Women Act

(Washington, D.C., April 03, 2025) – Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC) has reintroduced the Protect Victims of Digital Exploitation and Manipulation Act, legislation criminalizing the creation and distribution of AI-generated deepfake pornography without a person’s consent. With artificial intelligence advancing rapidly, bad actors are using new tools to digitally superimpose real people—mostly women—into explicit imagery, often to harass, humiliate, or silence them.

“This is digital sexual assault, plain and simple,” said Mace. “Women and children are waking up to find their faces pasted on porn—and there’s no accountability. My bill puts predators on notice: you do this, you’re going to prison.”

The legislation imposes up to five years in prison for anyone who recklessly creates or distributes deepfake sexual content of an identifiable individual without their consent. It includes clear exceptions for law enforcement, legal proceedings, and medical use, while still holding platforms and bad actors responsible.

Mace also called on Congress to act: “If we’re serious about protecting women in the digital age, we need to update our laws to reflect the world we live in—not the world as it existed 30 years ago. The Violence Against Women Act must be modernized to address emerging threats like AI-generated exploitation. Deepfake porn is becoming more common, more realistic, and more abusive by the day. If Congress fails to act, it’s failing victims.”

The Protect Victims of Digital Exploitation and Manipulation Act marks a critical step in defending women and children from a new and evolving form of abuse—and ensuring the law catches up with technology.

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