Senator Ted Cruz is pushing for a ban on artificial intelligence (AI) generated revenge porn in Texas, as Congress prepares to wrap up its session. His S.4569 proposal targets deepfakes, the technology that blends people’s faces in videos and images without their consent. If the proposal is successful, websites will be mandated to remove such content within 48 hours after notification.
The bipartisan bill is also being co-sponsored by Senator Amir Klobuchar and passed a unanimous reading at the Senate on December 3. Now, all eyes are on the house where the bill is expected to be approved in the remaining days. Senator Cruz discussed why the bill needs to be passed at a December 11 conference, talking about the right of individuals to have their images put on a website only if they permit it.
Ted Cruz’s bill sees backing as victims speak up
Victims at the press event spoke up about the difficulty in removing the images and videos and the danger they pose. 15-year-old Elliston Berry, whose AI-generated image went viral on Snapchat shared her story. According to her, the image had stayed on the platform for nine months before Cruz intervened through his office to have it removed. “That morning I woke up, it was one of the worst feelings I have ever felt,” she said, describing how she felt when the image circulated.
Elliston’s story is just one of the many that have gone viral across social media, messing with the victim’s privacy while tech companies continue to look for ways to curb the menace. According to her mother, using Cruz’s influence was a privilege, noting that most people don’t have access to people like the Senator.
Tech firms Meta, TikTok, and Microsoft have also supported Cruz’s proposal. It is not a surprise that the companies are facing a lot of heat to step up in that aspect. While critics have also criticized their nonchalant attitudes towards the removal of such content, the new bill gives them 48 hours to pull it down without any reason. Senator Klobuchar drummed the reason to pass the bill as soon as possible, noting that there is a need to build a new environment.
AI is becoming a menace no one can ignore
AI has made deepfake creation easy, providing simple tools even to those without editing experience. With a laptop or mobile phone and the internet, people can create any kind of image or video they want, ignoring the consequences of their actions. However, it is not a surprise that most of these contents are pornographic. The numbers are also shocking, with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children (CMEC) putting the total flagged cases of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) at 4,700.
Technology provides these tools to the deepest and darkest corner of the internet. A 47-year-old was arrested in Wisconsin for creating multiple explicit images of minors. Another case recorded was a medical practitioner using real children’s images to generate explicit AI content. The deepfakes go further than children, with celebrities also bearing the brunt of it.
Technology has made it possible for public figures and influential people to fall victim to no federal law to stop the act. With AI poised to get smarter, federal lawmakers will need to act fast to get ahead of the menace. The lawmakers are aware, hence the law, and so do some victims. Now all that is left is for Congress to fight back through the bill or leave it to ravage the internet.
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