Dissemination
Making content available to the public via media or platforms.
How the laws define this
Regulators uniformly treat dissemination as the act of spreading, publishing, distributing, transmitting, or posting content through electronic or other channels. However, these instruments diverge significantly regarding public reach, causation, and specific content triggers. The Law on the responsible use of technology in the context of the deepfake phenomenon (PL-x No. 471/2023) limits its scope to making content available to the public through platforms, broadcast media, and social networks, which directly triggers legal obligations for authors, distributors, and hosting platforms. By contrast, Minnesota HF 1370 - Deepfake Dissemination Liability broadly covers transmitting, publishing, or distributing by electronic or other means without requiring public availability. Expanding liability further, A bill for an act relating to harassment by the dissemination, publishing, distribution, or posting of a visual depiction showing another person in a state of full or partial nudity or engaged in a sex act that has been altered to falsely depict another person, and making penalties applicable explicitly penalizes causing such content to be spread, published, distributed, or posted.
Synthesised from the 3 statutory definitions below. Each one is quoted in full, with its source.
How jurisdictions differ
What is distinctive in each definition, binding law in force first. Showing 2 of the 3 instruments that define this term; all are listed under Definitions below.
| Jurisdiction | Instrument | Status | What is distinctive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa, United States | A bill for an act relating to harassment by the dissemination, publishing, distribution, or posting of a visual depiction showing another person in a state of full or partial nudity or engaged in a sex act that has been altered to falsely depict another person, and making penalties applicable. | In Force | Includes causing content to be spread, published, distributed, or posted, beyond just personal action. |
| Romania | Law on the responsible use of technology in the context of the deepfake phenomenon (PL-x No. 471/2023) | Under Review | Specifies channels like online platforms, broadcast media, social networks, and lists upload, posting, streaming, publication. |
What it triggers
Definitions (3)
The act of making content available to the public through channels such as online platforms, broadcast media and social networks (including upload, posting, streaming or publication), which triggers obligations on authors, distributors and hosting platforms under the regime.
To transmit, publish, or distribute, whether by electronic or other means.
The act of spreading, publishing, distributing, or posting visual content, or causing such content to be spread, published, distributed, or posted.
Not to be confused with
Dissemination includes posting and causing spread, while distribution is transmission or sharing across channels or recipients.
Questions and answers
What does dissemination include in Iowa?
The act of spreading, publishing, distributing, or posting visual content, or causing such content to be spread, published, distributed, or posted.
What does dissemination include in Romania?
Making content available to the public through channels such as online platforms, broadcast media and social networks including upload, posting, streaming or publication.
Does dissemination include causing content to be spread?
Yes, in Iowa it includes causing content to be spread, published, distributed, or posted.
Related Terms
Distribution
Transmission or sharing of content across channels or recipients....
Disseminate
To spread or broadcast information, consistent with New York Penal Law definitions....
Facilitation and distribution
Acts enabling access, publication, distribution, or possession of content....
Disseminates
Transmitting a digitization to another person via social media, email, messaging, video sharing, or other electronic/physical means....
distribution/publication
Making material available across physical or digital channels....