Virginia HB 2678 (2019) — Unlawful Dissemination or Sale of Images of Another, Amended to Cover Deepfakes
Virginia · Va. Code 18.2-386.2; HB 2678 (2019), Va. Acts cc. 490, 515
Virginia made it a crime to share or sell a fabricated nude or sexually explicit image of a real, identifiable person without their consent. The 2019 amendment covered 'deepfakes' and other doctored media: it no longer matters that the explicit image was synthesized or altered, only that it depicts an actual person who is recognizable. Doing so with intent to coerce, harass, or intimidate is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Technical detail
HB 2678 (2019, Va. Acts cc. 490, 515) amended Va. Code 18.2-386.2 so that 'another person' includes a person whose image was used to create, adapt, or modify a videographic or still image intended to depict, and recognizable as, an actual person; the offense remains a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Who is protected: Identifiable real individuals depicted in fabricated, adapted, or altered nude or sexually explicit images, including AI-generated deepfakes.
Who must comply: Any person who distributes or sells such images of another with intent to coerce, harass, or intimidate.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Virginia |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2019-07-01 |
| Enacted | 2019-03-18 |
| Citation | Va. Code 18.2-386.2; HB 2678 (2019), Va. Acts cc. 490, 515 |
| Enforced by | Commonwealth's Attorneys / local prosecutors (criminal enforcement); Virginia courts. |
| Private right of action | No — agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Class 1 misdemeanor (up to 12 months in jail and/or a fine of up to $2,500). |
| Topics | non-consensual intimate imagery · AI-generated images · deepfakes |
| Last verified | 2026-06-16 |
| Official source | Code of Virginia 18.2-386.2 — Unlawful dissemination or sale of images of another; penalty ↗ |
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- Virginia IVO AI Safety Study (SB 384/HB 797, 2026) · In effect
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- VA Data Center Cost-Allocation Law · In effect
Related non-consensual intimate imagery rules elsewhere
- Arizona HB 2133 deepfake sexual content — vetoed 2026 · Vetoed
- TAKE IT DOWN Act · In effect
- DEFIANCE Act (deepfake-porn civil suits) · Proposed / pending
- NY S5959-D (2020, digital replicas + deepfake porn) · In effect
- VA HB 2678 (2019, first deepfake-NCII criminal law) · In effect
- Missouri Deepfake & Digital Media Protection Act · Proposed / pending
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