United States of America: Maryland legislature adopted Bill defining and authorising civil action against revenge pornography (SB 360)

On 7 April 2025, the Maryland legislature adopted the Bill defining and authorising civil action against revenge pornography (SB 360), following passage in both legislative Chambers. The Bill will now be considered by the Governor for final approval. The Bill proposes to allow individuals to bring civil claims, including for defamation per se or invasion of privacy, where a computer-generated image falsely depicts them with exposed intimate parts or engaged in sexual activity without their consent. The Bill amends the existing criminal offence of non-consensual pornography to include computer-generated visual representations that are indistinguishable from actual individuals. It also provides for the recovery of reasonable attorney’s fees for prevailing plaintiffs and limits public access to court records containing such visual representations, allowing inspection only by authorised parties in connection with related proceedings.