Law / United States / Vermont
Disclosure of sexually explicit images without consent, digitized and computer-generated images
A citation is an address, not a summary. The first part names the law; what follows narrows it to the exact section, article or paragraph.
In force since 6 June 2024.
An AI prohibited practices rule binding public and private bodies.
As of 6 September 2026.
What it requires
- Do not knowingly disclose a nude or sexually explicit visual image of an identifiable person, without that person's consent, with intent to harm, harass, intimidate, threaten, or coerce them, where the disclosure would cause a reasonable person to suffer harm.
- This reaches an image created or realistically altered by digitization, including one built from an image of a person other than the one depicted, or a wholly computer-generated image.
- Consent to the recording or production of an image does not by itself constitute consent to disclose it.
- Disclosure made with intent to profit financially draws a higher penalty tier.
- An operator of a website, online service, or application may not accept a fee or other consideration to remove, delete, or refrain from posting such an image when the depicted person requests it.
- A person harmed by a violation may bring a private civil action for damages and injunctive relief.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Private right of actionYes
Criminal exposure note
A violation is punishable by up to two years' imprisonment or a $2,000.00 fine, or both; a violation committed with intent to profit financially is punishable by up to five years' imprisonment or a $10,000.00 fine, or both.
Penalty structure
Base violation: up to two years' imprisonment or a $2,000.00 fine, or both. Disclosure with intent to profit financially: up to five years' imprisonment or a $10,000.00 fine, or both.
- Rule
- Fixed only
- As of
- 6 September 2026
- Minimum
- 2,000
- Currency
- USD
- Fixed cap
- 10,000
What it reaches
Obligation class
Prohibition
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
Section 2606 makes it a crime to knowingly disclose a visual image of an identifiable person who is nude or engaged in sexual conduct, without that person's consent, with intent to harm, harass, intimidate, threaten, or coerce them, where the disclosure would cause a reasonable person to suffer harm; a second, higher tier applies where the disclosure is made with intent to profit financially.
"Visual image" expressly includes an image created or altered by digitization, and "digitization" is defined as altering an image in a realistic manner using an image or images of a person, including images of a person other than the one depicted, or computer-generated images, so the statute reaches a realistic nonconsensual sexual deepfake of an identifiable person and not only an authentic recording.
Consent to the recording of an image does not by itself constitute consent to disclose it, and a website or app operator may not accept payment to remove or refrain from posting such an image on the depicted person's request.
The section carries statutory exceptions for voluntary public or commercial nudity, disclosures in the public interest (including reporting unlawful conduct), matters of public concern, and a Communications Decency Act section 230 style carve-out for interactive computer services hosting another person's content. The section was added in 2015 (Act No. 62) and most recently amended by 2023 Act No. 161 (Adj.
Sess.), section 45, effective June 6, 2024; whether the digitization definition specifically originated in the 2015 enactment or was introduced by the 2023 amendment is not confirmed against the uncodified session laws, so the amendment's effective date is used here for the section's current, in-force text.
When LexLint raises it
generates_content
Read the law
official text, Vermont Statutes Online (legislature.vermont.gov)