"Urgent Action Needed: The Alarming Proliferation of Deepfake Pornography"

Over 415,000 pornographic deepfake images were created and uploaded online last year, with only six states having laws against their production and distribution. Victims, including celebrities and ordinary individuals, struggle to have the humiliating content removed from the internet, as perpetrators largely go unpunished. Efforts to pass federal legislation are underway, led by a 14-year-old girl from New Jersey who was depicted in such images, and her mother, who met with members of Congress to push for laws targeting perpetrators. The lack of legislation at the federal level and in many states leaves victims and prosecutors relying on existing laws around cyberbullying, extortion, and harassment, which do not specifically address the creation and sharing of deepfake images.