Connecticut’s legislature passed House Bill 5312, creating new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault, including unauthorized dissemination of synthetically created intimate images and AI-generated child pornography. The bill establishes a private right of action for victims and empowers the Connecticut Attorney General to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against abusers and platforms hosting illegal content. This builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized intimate image dissemination.
The legislation creates a private right of action for victims of unlawful synthetically created intimate image dissemination to sue abusers. It also empowers the Connecticut Attorney General to seek civil injunctions and monetary penalties against platforms that disseminate illegal content, including AI-generated child pornography.
In-house legal teams at social media platforms, content hosting providers, and AI image generation companies should review user agreements, terms of service, and vendor contracts for compliance with Connecticut’s new HB 5312. Key clauses to update include prohibited content provisions to explicitly ban synthetically created non-consensual intimate images and AI-generated CSAM, takedown procedures with strict timelines for removing unlawful content, indemnification clauses for civil liability under the new private right of action, and audit rights to verify AI tools do not generate prohibited content. Vendor agreements with third-party content moderators should include reporting requirements for unlawful content and penalties for failure to promptly remove illegal images. Customer agreements should clearly notify users of prohibited content and consequences for violations to mitigate risk of AG enforcement.
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Bad actor platforms
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Social Media"bad actor platforms"
"House Bill No. 5312, An Act Establishing a Civil Action for the Office of the Attorney General and a Private Right of Action for Victims of Unlawful Dissemination of a Synthetically Created Intimate Images"
"unlawful dissemination of a synthetically created intimate images"
"AI-generated child pornography"
"pursue civil injunctions"
"civil injunctions and penalties"
$625K
Connecticut reached a $625,000 settlement with Frontier Communications Parent Inc. over an April 2024 breach in which compromised employee and vendor credentials were used to access internal systems and exfiltrate unencrypted personal information of 58,841 Connecticut residents. The settlement requires Frontier to strengthen its security program, implement specific safeguards and training, and obtain an independent third-party assessment.
$2.6M
Connecticut and New York found that Boston Children’s Health Physicians and its security vendor, XTIUM, failed to use reasonable safeguards, resulting in hackers accessing sensitive personal, medical, and employee information. The companies agreed to pay penalties totaling $2.64 million and implement enhanced cybersecurity measures.
Connecticut joined a coalition of state attorneys general filing a notice in Character Technologies, Inc.’s bankruptcy proceedings, raising concerns about the company’s safety and privacy practices and the sensitive information it holds. The states seek protections for children and consumers if the company’s business or assets are sold or transferred; the filing does not impose a fine or other remedy.
Attorney General William Tong and Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman petitioned PURA to review how Connecticut public utilities use artificial intelligence, citing potential data privacy and cybersecurity risks, algorithmic errors, and misleading outputs. The petition asks PURA to examine utility AI systems, safeguards, vendors, and data security practices; it does not report a finding of violation or an imposed penalty.
$2.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with RZ Smoke, Inc. over allegations that it distributed and sold high-potency cannabis products without a state license. The stipulated judgment is $2 million, with $375,000 payable to the State and $1.6 million suspended to ensure compliance; the company is barred from specified cannabis activities in Connecticut unless licensed.
$13.7M
Connecticut joined a coalition of states and the federal government in settling allegations that Takeda paid healthcare providers speaker honoraria and provided meals to induce prescriptions of Trintellix, leading to allegedly false claims to government healthcare programs. Takeda agreed to pay $13,670,921 plus accrued interest, with portions allocated to federal and state programs.