The SOUL Act of 2026 would establish new federal ownership rights for U.S. citizens over their personal identity characteristics, including name, image, voice, likeness, biometric data, and AI-generated digital replicas. Citizens would automatically own these rights for their lifetime plus 50 years after death without needing to register or prove commercial use. The bill would prohibit unauthorized creation of digital replicas and deepfakes, allowing individuals to sue in federal court for damages ranging from $750 to $30,000 per violation, or up to $150,000 for intentional violations, without needing to prove actual harm. The law includes exceptions for fair use, parody, satire, news reporting, and government activities protected by the First Amendment. The legislation would take effect 90 days after enactment and would override any existing state laws covering similar protections to ensure uniform national standards.
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