House passes bill with criminal penalties for AI-generated sexual content, synthetic child sexual abuse material, malicious deepfakes

By SUZANNE DOWNING

Feb. 27, 2026 – The Alaska House has passed the latest version of HB 47, a wide-ranging bill that creates new criminal penalties for AI-generated sexual content, synthetic child sexual abuse material, and malicious deepfakes, while also imposing significant new regulations on social media platforms that allow minors to use their services. The bill passed with 39 yeas and one absence.

Sponsored by Rep. Sarah Vance of Homer, the bill now heads to the Senate.

Much of the public attention has focused on the measure’s felony provisions targeting AI-generated child sexual abuse material. But another section of the bill addresses a growing concern in the digital age: manipulated audio and video, commonly referred to as “deepfakes.”

Under the new law, a person commits the crime of distributing a “forged digital likeness” if they knowingly distribute a digitally created or altered video or audio recording of a real, identifiable person with the intent to defraud, harass, threaten, or intimidate, and if they know or reasonably should know the likeness is not authentic. The offense is classified as a Class A misdemeanor.

However, lawmakers included a notable carve-out that is likely to draw attention from political commentators, comedians, and media influencers and outlets. The statute explicitly states that the law is not meant to prohibit distribution of manipulated content for “cultural, historical, political, religious, educational, newsworthy, or public interest” purposes, including use in a work of art, commentary, satire, or parody.

In other words, political spoofs, satire, parody sketches, and artistic works using AI to mimic a public figure’s voice or image are not automatically criminalized under the bill, so long as they are not distributed with intent to defraud, harass, threaten, or intimidate.

Video: A colorful day in the Democrat-run Alaska House, with slurs accepted, but ‘suicide’ not acceptable term

That distinction is significant in a state with an active political culture and at a time of growing use of AI in political satire. A law prohibiting expression may run afoul of the First Amendment and end up in federal court. Much of what is political satire may come down to a matter of interpretation.

JD Vance's meme response to Gavin Newsom 👇😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/6TAT9Ki3ND

— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) November 14, 2025

For example, memes of Vice President JD Vance are now ubiquitous on social media. These can be seen as deep fakes and the line may be blurry in some instances.

Gavin Newsom: “We owned JD with that meme!”

Meanwhile, JD Vance: pic.twitter.com/sUkhs3iNVs

— 𝕏erias (@xerias_x) November 14, 2025

At the same time, the bill draws a harder line when it comes to sexualized content created through digital manipulation.

A separate section makes it a Class A misdemeanor to knowingly distribute or threaten to distribute a manipulated image depicting another person’s genitals, anus, female breast, or sexual activity, if done with reckless disregard that the distribution may cause physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm. In this section, the law does not contain the same explicit satire or parody exemption language found in the forged digital likeness provision.

The legislation also creates new felony offenses for the distribution and possession of “generated obscene child sexual abuse material,” even when no actual child was involved in producing the image. Distribution may be charged as a Class B felony, elevated to a Class A felony for repeat offenders, while possession is a Class C felony. The bill integrates these new offenses into Alaska’s broader sentencing statutes, probation restrictions, forfeiture rules, and sex offense definitions.

Beyond criminal law, the measure includes a sweeping new section titled the “Alaska Social Media Regulation Act,” set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027. That portion would require social media platforms to verify user ages, obtain written parental consent before allowing minors to create accounts, provide parents full access to a minor’s account activity, prohibit targeted advertising to minors, restrict algorithmic content personalization for minors, and impose a 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. curfew for minor users unless modified by a parent.

The social media provisions authorize enforcement by the Alaska attorney general and create a private right of action allowing parents to sue platforms for violations, with civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.

Another notable provision allows for civil penalties of up to $1 million per instance against organizations whose artificial intelligence systems are used to create generated child sexual abuse material.

The bill modernizes Alaska law to address rapidly advancing AI technology and protect minors from exploitation and abuse. But there are expected to be questions about free speech implications, enforceability, gray areas of interpretation, and potential constitutional challenges, particularly surrounding the social media regulations and the boundaries between satire and harassment.

Seems like people should be prosecuted for deep fakes. 80% of the people I know in real life would absolutely fall for this. It’s a serious issue 😡 pic.twitter.com/XHQoCxeIei

— Dan from Spotted Model: Cars & Tech (@spotted_model) February 26, 2026

Nick Shirley smacks the soul out of Gavin Newsom 😭 pic.twitter.com/kOhjqxlURU

— Gizmo Memes (@GizmoMemes) February 1, 2026