2025 Wisconsin Act 34, Synthetic Intimate Representation Ban

Wis. Stat. § 942.09(1)(e), (2)(am)4., (2)(dr)

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 11 months, effective 4 October 2025.

An AI prohibited practices rule binding public and private bodies.

As of 6 September 2026.

What it requires

Do not post, publish, distribute, or exhibit a synthetic intimate representation, meaning a realistic AI-generated or technologically-generated depiction using an identifiable person's face, likeness, or other distinguishing characteristic to portray an intimate scene involving that person, with intent to coerce, harass, or intimidate them.
This prohibition reaches a depiction built from artificial, licensed, or generally accessible components alike; a synthetic image is not exempted merely because part of it is drawn from real or licensed material.
The offense is a Class I felony, rising to a Class H felony if the depicted person had not turned 18 at the time of the violation.

If you get it wrong

Criminal exposureYes

Criminal exposure note

Except as provided for a minor victim, a violation of Wis. Stat. § 942.09(2)(am), including the synthetic-intimate-representation offense at (2)(am)4, is a Class I felony (fine not to exceed $10,000 or imprisonment not to exceed 3 years and 6 months, or both, under Wis. Stat. § 939.50(3)(i)). Under (2)(dr), the offense is instead a Class H felony (fine not to exceed $10,000 or imprisonment not to exceed 6 years, or both, under § 939.50(3)(h)) if the person depicted had not attained the age of 18 at the time of the violation.

Penalty structure

Both the Class I felony tier (adult victim) and the enhanced Class H felony tier (minor victim) cap the fine at $10,000; only the maximum imprisonment differs, 3 years and 6 months for a Class I felony versus 6 years for a Class H felony, under Wis. Stat. § 939.50(3)(h) and (i).

Rule: Fixed only
As of: 6 September 2026
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.

A "synthetic intimate representation" is defined as a representation generated using technological means that uses an identifiable person's face, likeness, or other distinguishing characteristic to depict an intimate representation of that person, regardless of whether the representation includes components that are artificial, legally generated, or generally accessible, and that is so realistic that a reasonable person would believe it depicts conduct of the identifiable person; the definition is technology-neutral and reaches an AI-generated or partly AI-generated sexual deepfake.

Posting, publishing, distributing, or exhibiting a synthetic intimate representation of an identifiable person with intent to coerce, harass, or intimidate that person is a Class I felony, except that it is a Class H felony if the depicted person had not attained the age of 18 at the time of the violation.

The same act separately created a reproduction offense at subsection (3m)(a)3, making it a Class A misdemeanor (Class I felony if the depicted person was a minor) to make a reproduction of a private representation knowing the depicted person did not consent to the reproduction; that provision is not limited to synthetic or AI-generated content on its own terms.

Created by 2025 Wisconsin Act 34 (2025 Senate Bill 33), enacted October 2, 2025 and published October 3, 2025; the act does not carry a distinct effective-date clause of its own, so it took effect the day after publication, October 4, 2025, under the state's general rule for acts of the legislature enacted without an emergency clause.

When LexLint raises it

generates_content
publishes_adult_content

Read the law

official statute text, Wisconsin Legislature (docs.legis.wisconsin.gov)

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