Vermont
AI Policy Overview
Vermont lawmakers have begun to address artificial intelligence policies. One area where Vermont lawmakers have made progress is in regulating facial regulation. Lawmakers placed a moratorium on law enforcement use of facial recognition technology in 2019. However, lawmakers enacted an exception in 2021 that allows police to use facial recognition technology when investigating child sexual exploitation. Vermont enacted a sexual deepfake law in 2024.
Deepfakes
In 2024, Vermont enacted a sexual deepfake law (VT HB 878), which added images created or altered by digitization to criminal provisions prohibiting the dissemination of sexually explicit images without consent.
Facial Recognition
In 2019, lawmakers in Vermont enacted a law (VT SB 124) that issued a moratorium on the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement officers. However, lawmakers made an exception to that moratorium when legislators enacted a law (VT HB 195) in 2019 allowing police to use facial recognition technology during a criminal investigation into the sexual exploitation of children. The law states that facial recognition technology can only be used where police are in possession of an image they believe to show a victim or suspect of child sexual exploitation and the search is limited to locating images, including videos, of that individual within electronic media legally seized by law enforcement in relation to the specific investigation.
Legislative & Regulatory History
2024 - Vermont enacted VT HB 878), which added images created or altered by digitization to criminal provisions prohibiting the dissemination of sexually explicit images without consent.
2021 - Vermont enacted VT HB 195, which adds an exception to the 2019 moratorium that allows police to use facial recognition technology when investigating child sexual exploitation.
2019 - Vermont enacted VT SB 124, which prohibited law enforcement officers from using facial recognition technology.