United States of America: Bill defining and authorising civil action against revenge pornography (SB 360) was introduced to Maryland Senate

On 17 January 2025, Senate Bill 360 (SB 360) was introduced to the Maryland Senate to define “visual representation” in the context of revenge pornography and to authorise civil actions related to its non-consensual distribution. The Bill would 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 would amend the existing criminal offence of non-consensual pornography to include computer-generated visual representations that are indistinguishable from actual individuals. It would also provide for the recovery of reasonable attorney’s fees for prevailing plaintiffs and would limit public access to court records containing such visual representations, allowing inspection only by authorised parties in connection with related proceedings.