CONSENT Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4695
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-08: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-26T19:53:56Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose The legislation establishes a federal private right of action to deter and provide remedies for the transmission of unsolicited intimate visual depictions, including deepfakes, without the recipient's consent.
Key Provisions
- Definitions:
- Consent requires an affirmative, conscious, and voluntary authorization free from force, fraud, duress, misrepresentation, or coercion.
- Intimate visual depiction includes any intimate image as defined in existing law (15 U.S.C. 6851) and extends to intimate digital forgeries created or altered via AI, machine learning, or similar technology that appear authentic.
- Transmit means sending the depiction directly to one or more individuals (excluding publication).
- Civil Action: Individuals aged 18 or older (or their legal guardians if under 18, incompetent, or incapacitated) may sue in federal district court if a sender knowingly transmits an intimate visual depiction in interstate or foreign commerce without consent, knowing or recklessly disregarding the lack of consent.
- Relief Available: Statutory damages up to $1,000, compensatory damages for emotional distress, reasonable attorney fees and costs, and injunctive relief ordering the sender to cease transmissions.
- Privacy Protections: Minors may use initials or a pseudonym in filings, with courts and parties required to do the same.
- Exceptions: Actions may not be brought for good-faith medical, educational, or law enforcement purposes.
- Additional Clauses: The bill does not modify criminal law, includes a First Amendment rule of construction, and contains a severability provision.
Significant Changes to Existing Law This bill introduces a new federal civil remedy specifically targeting non-consensual direct transmissions of intimate images, including AI-generated forgeries. It expands prior definitions of intimate visual depictions and creates enforceable rights and damages where none existed at the federal level for this specific conduct.
Potential Impacts
- Citizens: Provides a direct legal mechanism for recipients to seek monetary relief and court orders against senders of unwanted intimate content.
- Government Agencies: Minimal direct effect, as enforcement occurs through private lawsuits rather than agency action.
- International Relations: Applies to transmissions affecting foreign commerce, potentially influencing cross-border digital communications involving such content.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Recipients of unsolicited intimate visual depictions (including minors via guardians).
- Individuals or entities who transmit such depictions.
- Legal guardians acting on behalf of protected individuals.
- Courts handling these civil cases.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill explicitly preserves First Amendment protections through a rule of construction and avoids altering existing criminal statutes. It focuses on private civil enforcement rather than government regulation, with built-in safeguards for certain public-interest transmissions.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-08: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-06-08: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Curbing Online Non-consensual Sexually Explicit Nudity Transfers Act — issued 2026-06-08 — PDF (6 pages)