Stop VOYEURS Act of 2025: Prison Time Jumps to 5 Years, Feds Can Now Pursue Online Cases

The "Stop Victimizers and Offenders from Yielding Explicit Unconsented Recordings Surreptitiously Act of 2025"—or the Stop VOYEURS Act of 2025—is a federal bill that significantly toughens the laws against video voyeurism. This bill updates existing legislation by expanding where the law applies and increasing potential prison time for offenders.

Digital-Age Justice

The core change is broadening the scope of where federal video voyeurism laws apply. Previously, the law focused on acts within "the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States." The Stop VOYEURS Act removes that limiting phrase. Now, the feds can step in if:

• The offender or victim crossed state lines or international borders in connection with the offense (SEC. 2 (d)(1)).
• The internet or other interstate communication methods were used to commit the offense (SEC. 2 (d)(2)). Think: someone recording in one state and posting it online where it's viewed in another.
• Payments related to the offense involved interstate commerce (SEC. 2 (d)(3)).
• Communications about the offense crossed state lines (SEC. 2 (d)(4)).
• Equipment used (like a hidden camera) traveled across state lines (SEC. 2 (d)(5)).
• The act happened in U.S. maritime or territorial jurisdiction (SEC. 2 (d)(6)).
• The offense, in general, affected interstate or foreign commerce. (SEC. 2 (d)(7))

Real-World Consequences

This update has some serious, practical implications:

• Harsher Penalties: The maximum prison sentence jumps from 1 year to 5 years (SEC. 2 (a)). That's a significant increase and a much stronger deterrent.
• Broader Reach: Imagine someone secretly recording in a changing room in one state, then uploading it to a website hosted in another. Previously, federal jurisdiction might have been questionable. Now, it's clearly covered.
• Interstate/International Cases: If someone travels from New York to New Jersey to secretly record someone, then posts it online, the feds have a clear path to prosecute.

The Bottom Line

The Stop VOYEURS Act of 2025 modernizes video voyeurism laws to reflect how easily images and videos can be shared across state and national borders. It gives federal law enforcement more tools to go after offenders, especially in cases involving the internet or interstate travel. While the increased penalties are a strong deterrent, the broad language of "affecting interstate or foreign commerce" could be a point of future legal debate. The core idea, though, is clear: protecting people's privacy in the digital age just got a serious upgrade.