Maryland legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Maryland SB8: Criminal Law - Identity Fraud - Artificial Intelligence and Deepfake Representations
Status: Signed into law, May 12, 2026
Prohibiting a person from utilizing certain personal identifying information or engaging in certain conduct in order to cause physical injury, serious emotional distress, or economic damages; prohibiting a person from using certain artificial intelligence or certain deepfake representations for certain purposes; providing penalties of 5 years of imprisonment and a fine of up $10,000 or both where one victim is involved, and for two or more victims the term of imprisonment is up to 10 years and the fine is up to $15,000 or both; etc.
What the bill says
An act concerning Criminal Law - Identity Fraud - Artificial Intelligence and Deepfake Representations FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person from utilizing certain personal identifying information or engaging in certain conduct in order to cause certain harm; prohibiting a person from using certain artificial intelligence or certain deepfake representations for certain purposes; providing that a person who is the victim of certain conduct may bring a civil action against a certain person; and generally relating to identity fraud and artificial intelligence and deepfake representations…
From the enrolled text, May 18, 2026:
AN ACT concerning Criminal Law - Identity Fraud - Artificial Intelligence and Deepfake Representations FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person from utilizing certain personal identifying information or engaging in certain conduct in order to cause certain harm; prohibiting a person from using certain artificial intelligence or certain deepfake representations for certain purposes; providing that a person who is the victim of certain conduct may bring a civil action against a certain person; and generally relating to identity fraud and artificial intelligence and deepfake representations. BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, Article - Criminal Law Section 8-301 Annotated Code of Maryland (2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, Article - State Finance and Procurement Section 3.5-801(a) and (c) Annotated Code of Maryland (2021 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: Article - Criminal Law 8-301. (a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. (2) "ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE" HAS THE MEANING STATED IN § 3.5-801 OF THE STATE FINANCE AND PROCUREMENT ARTICLE. (3) (I) "DEEPFAKE REPRESENTATION" MEANS A PHOTOGRAPH, A FILM, A VIDEO, AN AUDIO RECORDING, A DIGITAL IMAGE, A PICTURE, OR A COMPUTER OR COMPUTER-GENERATED IMAGE OR PICTURE, WHETHER MADE, PRODUCED, OR GENERATED BY ELECTRONIC, …