A new Louisiana law set to go into effect on August 1 will criminalize the production and possession of deepfakes depicting the sexual abuse of children.

Louisiana legislative bill SB175, signed into law by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, deems that anyone convicted of creating, distributing, or possessing unlawful deepfake images depicting minors could face a mandatory five to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

Deepfakes are AI-generated videos that fabricate persons, places, and events. Deepfakes pose a growing challenge for cybersecurity and law enforcement due to advancements in AI that make deepfakes increasingly difficult to detect.