# Summary of H.R. 5586 — DEEPFAKES Accountability Act
This bill creates federal laws to regulate deepfakes—artificially created or manipulated videos, images, and audio that falsely depict real people—and provides legal remedies for victims. Anyone producing deepfakes for distribution must include clear disclosures identifying the content as fake, with specific requirements depending on whether the deepfake is audio-only, visual-only, or both. Audio must include spoken warnings, videos must display written disclaimers at the bottom of the screen, and audiovisual content needs both. Violations can result in criminal penalties of up to five years in prison and fines, civil penalties up to $150,000 per deepfake, and individuals depicted in deepfakes can sue for damages ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 per deepfake, with higher amounts for sexual content.
The bill affects deepfake creators, software developers who create deepfake-making tools, and online platforms that host such content. It particularly targets harmful deepfakes used for sexual harassment, fraud, election interference, or foreign influence campaigns. The law takes effect one year after passage and establishes a Homeland Security task force to develop deepfake detection technologies, requires the Federal Trade Commission to oversee compliance, and directs the Attorney General to coordinate prosecutions and provide guidance to federal prosecutors. An in rem legal process allows victims to sue deepfakes directly when creators cannot be located, and the bill requires online platforms to detect deepfakes and insert disclosure technology into flagged content.
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