Defending Each and Every Person from False Appearances by Keeping Exploitation Subject to Accountability Act of 2019 or the DEEP FAKES Accountability Act

This bill establishes requirements for advanced technological false personation records (i.e., deep fakes) and establishes criminal penalties for related violations.

Specifically, it requires producers of deep fakes to generally comply with certain digital watermark and disclosure requirements (e.g., verbal and written statements).

It establishes new criminal offenses related to (1) the production of deep fakes which do not comply with related watermark or disclosure requirements, and (2) the alteration of deep fakes to remove or meaningfully obscure such required disclosures. A violator is subject to a fine, up to five years in prison, or both.

It also establishes civil penalties and permits individuals to bring civil actions for damages.

Additionally, it revises the criminal offense of fraud in connection with certain identification documents to include deep fakes.

The bill also directs the Department of Justice to take certain actions, such as publishing a report related to deep fakes that includes a description of the efforts of Russia and China to use technology to impact elections.

Software manufacturers who reasonably believe software will be used to produce deep fakes must ensure it has the technical capability to insert watermarks and disclosures.

Finally, the bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to establish a task force to, among other things, advance efforts of the federal government to combat the national security implications of deep fakes.