South Dakota digital reality posture profile
This page summarizes six tracked digital safety topics for South Dakota, showing where public legislative coverage currently looks more proactive, more reactive, broader, or thinner. It is a structural posture signal based on public disclosures, not a political or legal grade.
Educational summary only
Not legal advice. Laws and enforcement change frequently. Verify current official statutes, regulations, and counsel where needed.
Overall state posture signal
Mixed posture with narrow tracked coverage.
Based on six tracked topics and public disclosures.
Posture meter
Lean and breadth across six tracked topics. Not a quality or political score.
Lean
Mixed posture
Breadth
Narrow tracked coverage
South Dakota Synthetic Explicit Content law summary
Based on direct statute tracking.
As of July 2026, South Dakota makes it a crime to create or share sexually explicit "deepfakes" of a real, identifiable person without their consent. Senate Bill 41, signed by Gov. Larry Rhoden in March 2026 and effective July 1, 2026, adds "digitally fabricated material" — images "adapted, generated, or modified to falsely depict an individual's appearance, conduct, or voice" showing that person in nudity or sexual conduct — to the state's criminal invasion-of-privacy law (§ 22-21-4) as a Class 5 felony. South Dakota also reaches AI-made child sexual abuse material: based on a 2024 change (SB 79), its child pornography definition in § 22-24A-2 covers "an individual indistinguishable from an actual minor created by the use of artificial intelligence or other computer technology." Both areas — synthetic CSAM and non-consensual deepfakes of real people — are covered by enacted, in-effect law.
Educational summary only
Not legal advice. Laws and enforcement change frequently. Verify current official statutes, regulations, and counsel where needed.
Why this status
Based on direct statute tracking.
What this means
- Two enacted statutes specifically reach synthetic explicit content: SB 41 (2026, § 22-21-4) criminalizes deepfake intimate images of identifiable adults, and § 22-24A-2 (SB 79, 2024) covers AI-generated CSAM.
What to do next
- Read the cited statute or bill text linked below to confirm the specifics for your state.
Citation-grade sources
Official sources
3South Dakota Attorney General press release (SB 79 / AI child pornography)
Official textCitation: AG office states SB 79 (2024 session) revised child pornography law to include AI-generated images and videos; bill passed the Legislature and was signed by the Governor.
Observed: 2026-07-07Open sourceSouth Dakota Codified Law § 22-24A-2 — child pornography definitions
Official textCitation: SDCL § 22-24A-2 defines child pornography to include a computer/AI-generated depiction 'indistinguishable from an actual minor,' the change enacted via SB 79 (2024).
Observed: 2026-07-07Open sourceSouth Dakota Senate Bill 41 (2026) — official bill text (LRC PDF)
Official textCitation: SB 41 (2026) amends § 22-21-4 to bar creating/distributing 'digitally fabricated material' depicting an identifiable individual in nudity or sexual conduct; violation of subdivision (3) is a Class 5 felony.
Observed: 2026-07-07Open source
Context / secondary sources
1South Dakota Searchlight — deepfake felony bill signed into law
Discovery leadObserved: 2026-07-07Open source
Provenance
Source basis
Official/public links curated
Confidence
High confidence
Review scope
Review centered on currently tracked state-level law
Last reviewed
2026-07-07 · 7 July 2026
References
South Dakota Attorney General press release (SB 79 / AI child pornography)
South Dakota Codified Law § 22-24A-2 — child pornography definitions
South Dakota Senate Bill 41 (2026) — official bill text (LRC PDF)
South Dakota Searchlight — deepfake felony bill signed into law
Open South Dakota topic pages
Notify me when South Dakota updates
We'll email when this state's posture record changes. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.