S6954A

The New York State Senate passed the Stop Deep Fakes Act (S6954A) on a 58-1 vote, with only Sen. Walczyk voting in opposition. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Gounardes, requires artificial intelligence platforms to attach metadata to all synthetically created or substantially modified digital media—including images, audio, and video—to track creation details such as the platform used, creation date, and user information. The measure aligns New York with California's similar standard and adopts what Gounardes described as an emerging international industry standard for AI transparency. During floor debate, Sen. Walczyk raised questions about the bill's competitive impact on AI development in New York, its application to livestreams and social media filters, and potential burdens on small businesses. Gounardes clarified that the metadata requirement falls on software platforms rather than individual users, and that livestreams currently fall outside the requirement since real-time metadata attachment is not technologically feasible. The bill empowers the Attorney General to enforce compliance through civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation. The legislation takes effect 180 days after enactment.