Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez expressed her shock and horror at discovering a "deepfake porn" simulation of herself, emphasizing the real and traumatic impact of such AI-generated content. She likened the experience to physical rape and is supporting legislation to hold accountable those responsible for nonconsensual AI pornography. The proliferation of deepfake porn, particularly targeting public figures, has prompted calls for legal measures to address the spread of this abusive content.
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.
