SC AI CSAM & Intimate Images Law
South Carolina AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material and Morphed Images Acts (S.28 & S.29)
S.28 creates offense of obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse, including AI-generated CSAM. S.29 addresses morphed images of identifiable minors. Both bills criminalize creation, possession, and distribution of AI-generated sexual images without consent. Offenders added to sex offender registry.
Jurisdiction
South Carolina
Enacted
May 12, 2025
Effective
May 12, 2025
Enforcement
South Carolina Attorney General; South Carolina law enforcement
Signed by Governor Henry McMaster on May 12, 2025. Effective immediately. Makes SC the 50th state to criminalize nonconsensual distribution of intimate images.
South Carolina LegislatureWhy It Matters
Most comprehensive state law on AI-generated sexual exploitation. Covers both minors (CSAM, morphed images) and adults (non-consensual intimate images). Sex offender registry requirement makes penalties severe. Relevant to AI image generation platforms.
Recent Developments
Signed May 12, 2025. South Carolina became 50th state to criminalize nonconsensual distribution of intimate images. AG Wilson praised passage for cracking down on AI-generated CSAM.
At a Glance
Applies to
Harms addressed
Who Must Comply
- Anyone producing, distributing, or possessing AI-generated CSAM
- Anyone creating morphed images of identifiable minors
- Anyone distributing non-consensual intimate images (including AI-generated)
Obligations fall on:
Safety Provisions
- S.28: Criminalizes AI-generated obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse
- S.29: Criminalizes morphed images of identifiable minors in sexual activity
- Applies to production, distribution, solicitation, possession with intent to distribute
- Covers non-consensual intimate images of adults (revenge porn + AI deepfakes)
- Offenders added to sex offender registry
- Civil remedies available for victims
Compliance & Enforcement
Penalties
$5K; criminal (up to 10yr)
Private Right of Action
Individuals can sue directly without waiting for regulatory action.
View on map
South Carolina
Focus Areas
Cite This
APA
South Carolina. (2025). South Carolina AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material and Morphed Images Acts (S.28 & S.29).
Related Regulations
KS AI Sexual Materials Law
Broadens breach of privacy to include sharing AI-created or AI-altered materials that portray individuals in sexual manner without consent. Criminalizes possession, creation, and distribution of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
IA AI Deepfake Pornography Laws
HF 2240 and SF 2243 criminalize creation of AI-generated intimate images without consent. HF 2240: Aggravated misdemeanor for adult non-consensual sexual images. SF 2243: Class D felony for AI-generated CSAM depicting minors (up to 5 years imprisonment).
EU Digital Omnibus (AI)
Amendments to the EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2026/1744, in force July 27, 2026) that delay high-risk AI system obligations by up to 16 months, make compliance timing conditional on availability of harmonised standards and support tools, and add a new Article 5 prohibition on AI systems for generating non-consensual intimate imagery (nudification tools) and CSAM.
CA AB 1394 / AB 1946
California statute requiring social media platforms to provide a mechanism for California users to report child sexual abuse material, to block reported material and notify the reporting user within fixed timeframes, and prohibiting platforms from knowingly facilitating, aiding or abetting the commercial sexual exploitation of minors. AB 1946, effective January 1, 2027, widens the definition of child sexual abuse material to intimate visual depictions of identifiable minors including digital forgeries created with artificial intelligence, opens reporting to any user rather than only the depicted minor, requires review by a natural person where no known hash match exists, shortens the response clock to 48 hours for blocking and 7 days for a final determination, and adds civil penalties recoverable by public prosecutors.
CA SB 867
Prohibits manufacturing, selling, exchanging, possessing with intent to sell, or offering for sale or exchange to a retailer any toy that includes a companion chatbot, where a toy is a physical product designed, marketed or manufactured for use in play by children under 16 years of age. Adds Business and Professions Code section 22604.5, which is repealed on January 1, 2031.
Singapore OSRA
Creates a dedicated Online Safety Commission (OSC) with powers to order takedowns and disable access, establishes statutory torts providing victims of online harms with direct civil remedies against platforms and perpetrators.
Last updated January 22, 2026. Verify against primary sources before relying on this information.