Alabama Child Protection Act (AI-generated CSAM)
Alabama Child Protection Act of 2024 (HB 168)
Alabama · Ala. Code Sec. 13A-12-190 et seq.; 2024 Ala. Acts (HB 168)
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- October 1, 2024
- Applies to
- Any person who creates, possesses, or distributes child sexual abuse material in Alabama; AI-generated and altered depictions are covered.
- Enforced by
- Alabama Attorney General and local district attorneys (criminal prosecution)
This law updates Alabama's criminal statutes on child sexual abuse material so that computer-generated and digitally altered images count the same as photographs of real children. It does this by adding 'virtually indistinguishable' depictions to the legal definition of child sexual abuse material, which captures content produced or manipulated by artificial intelligence. Prosecutors no longer have to prove an actual child was depicted when the image is realistic enough to be mistaken for one. The existing felony penalties for possessing or disseminating such material continue to apply.
Who is protected: Minors depicted in, or whose likenesses are used to generate, sexual abuse material.
Legal detail
HB 168 amended Ala. Code Sec. 13A-12-190 et seq. to redefine 'child sexual abuse material' to include a 'virtually indistinguishable depiction,' extending the dissemination and possession offenses in Sec. 13A-12-191 and 13A-12-192 to AI-generated and digitally altered imagery.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Alabama |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Strength | Limited |
| Enacted | March 19, 2024 |
| Citation | Ala. Code Sec. 13A-12-190 et seq.; 2024 Ala. Acts (HB 168) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Existing criminal penalties apply: dissemination or possession with intent to disseminate is a Class B felony, and simple possession is a Class C felony. |
| Topics | children's online safety · AI-generated images |
| Statute | Ala. Code Sec. 13A-12-190 (Definitions, as amended by HB 168) |
More AI rules in Alabama
- Alabama SB 63 (AI in prior authorization, eff. Oct 2026) · In effect
- Alabama Synthetic Private Images Law · In effect
- Alabama Election Deepfake Law · In effect
- Alabama Personal Data Protection Act (privacy / profiling opt-out) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Executive Order No. 738 - Alabama Generative Artificial Intelligence… · In effect
- Alabama Generative AI Acceptable Use Policy (AI-GV-P2) · In effect
Related children's online safety rules elsewhere
- PA v. Character.AI (Fake Psychiatrist Chatbot) · Blocked / in litigation
- RI AI Companion Self-Harm Safety (2026) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act) (H.R. 7757) · Proposed / pending
- Oregon SB 1546 (AI companion chatbot disclosure + private right of action) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- xAI v. Harwood (Grok NCII Counter-Suit 2026) · Blocked / in litigation
- Blanchester OH schools AI policy EDEC (Jun. 29, 2026) · In effect
See something wrong or out of date? Submit a correction. Every entry must carry a verifiable source.