"Are You a CEO Interested in a Feature Interview?"
All Interviews are 100% FREE of Charge
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed it A bill introduced on Tuesday aims to hold those who create or share deepfake pornography accountable. The Stopping Fake Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act (DEFIANCE Act) would allow victims to sue those who create, share or possess sexually explicit images or videos using AI of their likeness. The issue was entrenched in the public consciousness after the infamous Taylor Swift deepfake went viral among bad actors online earlier this year.
The bill would allow victims to sue for damages of up to $150,000, increasing that amount to $250,000 in cases involving attempted sexual assault, stalking or harassment.
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives, where a companion bill has been introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). SistervilleIf it passes the Senate, which seems likely given the Senate vote was unanimous, the bill would then be sent to President Biden’s desk for final passage.
“It’s shocking to see an image of yourself that someone thinks is real,” Ocasio-Cortez said. Said Rolling Stone “Once you see it, you never forget it. It resembles the exact same intent of physical rape and sexual assault,” he said. [which] “Deepfakes are about power, control and humiliation. They are really a way to digitally inflict violent humiliation on other people.”
The bill, sponsored by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), would allow victims of digitally fabricated content (deepfakes) to sue for damages. The bill would give victims a 10-year statute of limitations from the discovery of the content, or (more worryingly) from the time they turn 18, if they are minors.
“As we know, AI is playing a bigger role in our lives than ever before, and while it has many benefits, it also makes it easier than ever to create sexually explicit deepfakes without a person’s consent,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Said “Allowing fake images to be spread online without any remedy is a horrific attack on the privacy and dignity of individuals,” he said on the Senate floor late Tuesday.
During his floor speech, Schumer cited Swift and Megan Thee Stallion as two celebrities who have fallen victim to the content the bill would target. The Verge Note Online sexual deepfakes are also affecting people with far less clout (and legal fees) than A-list pop stars, such as high school girls, some of whom have found fabricated sexual images of themselves being circulated among their peers.
Fortunately, the bill provides that victims will have their privacy protected during court proceedings and will be able to recover their legal costs. “This is an egregious act, and the victims of these deepfakes deserve justice,” Schumer said.