In recent days, there have been renewed calls for Congress and the White House to act legislatively on the creation and proliferation of nonconsensual, intimate deepfake images, after fake images of artist Taylor Swift were rampantly shared online.
Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book, who has endured a traumatic and similar situation and then worked to change Florida law to combat image-based sexual abuse, shared this statement:
“Unfortunately, in this digital age, deepfake images and the proliferation of AI-generated material aren’t uncommon. I know firsthand because it happened to me. Let’s be clear: anyone involved in the proliferation of nonconsensual pornographic images like the ones of Taylor Swift needs to be held accountable under the law. That’s why, in 2022, Florida led the charge in giving law enforcement and prosecutors the tools they need to go after these online predators. Every single state in the country and the federal government must follow Florida’s lead by updating its laws to combat this digital predation and ensure these perpetrators are held accountable. This is a very real and growing problem, and it’s time to ensure our laws catch up with technology to protect innocent children, teens, and adults from the devastating impacts of digital image trafficking.”
