Legislators Rush to Address Taylor Swift Deepfake with New Law

Lawmakers in the United States are calling for legislation to criminalize the production of deepfake images after explicit fake photos of Taylor Swift circulated on social media platforms. U.S. Representative Joe Morelle took to the X social media platform to express his strong disapproval, describing the dissemination of these images as “appalling.” Morelle promoted the Preventing Deepfakes of Intimate Images Act, a bill he authored to make non-consensual deepfakes a federal crime, and urged immediate action on the matter. Deepfakes involve using artificial intelligence (AI) to manipulate videos by altering individuals’ faces or bodies. Currently, no federal laws exist governing the sharing or creation of deepfake images, but some lawmakers aim to address this issue.

Democratic Rep Yvette D Clarke also spoke out on X social media, emphasizing that the situation with Taylor Swift is not new. Clarke highlighted that women have long been victims of this technology, pointing out that advances in AI have made creating deepfakes more accessible and affordable. X acknowledged the issue and declared that it is actively removing the images and taking appropriate action against the accounts responsible for spreading them. The platform stated that it is closely monitoring the situation to swiftly address any further violations and ensure content removal.

In 2023, the sharing of deepfake pornography became illegal in the UK under the Online Safety Act. The State of Deepfakes report from last year revealed that the majority of deepfakes circulating online involve pornography, with nearly all individuals targeted being women. Concerns about AI-generated content are growing, with the World Economic Forum (WEF) emphasizing the negative consequences of AI technologies in its 19th Global Risks Report. The report highlights potential risks to individuals, businesses, ecosystems, and economies resulting from advances in AI, including generative AI.

Canada’s primary national intelligence agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), also expressed concerns about disinformation campaigns utilizing AI-generated deepfakes on the internet. On June 12, the United Nations released a report highlighting AI-generated media as a significant and urgent threat to information integrity, particularly on social media platforms. The report states that the risk of online disinformation has risen due to rapid technological advancements, specifically focusing on the dangers posed by generative AI, especially deepfakes.