In one paragraph
Wisconsin's SB 815 would have created s. 942.085, making it a Class A misdemeanor to create and post, publish, distribute or exhibit a deepfake (a synthetic digital representation of an individual's recognizable face, voice or likeness that looks authentic and was made without consent) with intent to coerce, harass or intimidate, and a Class I felony if done with intent to defraud, coerce or intimidate for monetary gain. Introduced January 14, 2026 and referred to committee; it failed to pass March 23, 2026.
Plain-English summary, written with AI assistance. The official text controls.
What it means for business
None: the bill did not pass. It would have made it a crime for anyone to create and post a deepfake with intent to coerce, harass, intimidate or defraud, with exemptions for technology providers, platforms and properly labeled content.
Key provisions
- Synthetic digital representation: a visual or audio representation generated, altered or manipulated by technological means that uses a person's recognizable personal characteristic, would appear authentic to a reasonable observer, and was made without that person's consent
- Class A misdemeanor to create and post, publish, distribute or exhibit one with intent to coerce, harass or intimidate any individual
- Class I felony to do so with intent to defraud, coerce or intimidate any individual for monetary gain
- Exemptions: technology providers and developers, interactive computer service and telecommunications providers for third-party content, a person who publishes, distributes or exhibits newsworthy or public-importance content, and law enforcement officers in official duties
- No offense if the person labeled the content, with the words "This content generated by AI" on images, throughout video, and at the beginning and end of audio
- Adds s. 942.085 to the racketeering felony list (s. 946.82 (4)) and to the conduct covered by the privacy statute s. 995.50 (2) (am) 4.
- Introduced January 14, 2026; referred to Judiciary and Public Safety; failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1 on March 23, 2026
Latest legislative action
Mar 23, 2026. Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Sponsors (showing 5 of 13)
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Agard | Primary |
| Dassler-Alfheim | Primary |
| Habush Sinykin | Primary |
| Hesselbein | Primary |
| Johnson | Primary |
Topics and industries
Related topics
Affected industries
This page is general information, not legal advice. Summaries are AI-assisted and may contain errors; read the statute for the controlling text and talk to a lawyer about your situation. Full disclaimer · Report an error