Latest news with #LouisBlessingIII
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio bill seeks to regulate AI-generated child sexual abuse material and identity fraud
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A recently introduced Ohio bill would regulate artificial intelligence in the state, including simulated child sexual abuse material and content mimicking people without their consent. Senate Bill 163, sponsored by Sens. Louis Blessing III (R-Colerain Township) and Terry Johnson (R-McDermott), would prohibit creating or distributing sexual images of children generated by AI. Current state laws surrounding child pornography leave loopholes for AI materials that are not based on a real person, Blessing said. 'There is a gray area in the law where somebody possesses child pornography, for example, but it's AI-generated and it's not an actual person, you really can't go after them easily,' Blessing said. Why this transgender Ohioan says he's leaving the state Introduced in April, the bill would classify creating child sexual abuse material using AI as a third-degree felony, and buying or possessing it as a fourth-degree felony. In Ohio, third-degree felonies typically carry a sentence of nine months to three years in prison, in addition to a possible fine of up to $10,000. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a nonprofit that runs an online tip line for child exploitation, reported that from 2022 to 2024, it received over 7,000 reports of child sexual abuse material involving AI. If SB 163 passes, Ohio will join 38 states that have enacted laws to criminalize AI-generated child sexual abuse material. The bill's AI regulations extend beyond sexual images of children, and also prohibit computer-generated identity fraud. This includes replicating a person's image, voice or likeness to illegally obtain money or damage their reputation. This would include any sexual or obscene material portraying a person without their consent. Under the bill, identity fraud using AI is generally a fifth-degree felony, but the charge could be escalated depending on a variety of factors, including previous related offenses and whether other statutes were violated in carrying out the crime. The bill would permit a person whose identity is unlawfully replicated to sue their offender. The bill would also require creators of AI products that are accessible in the state to watermark them. This would not be a visual watermark, but rather exist in the file's metadata, identifying it as AI-generated. The watermarks would be detectable by computer programs, rather than the human eye. Currently, most mainstream social media platforms use metadata to flag content as AI. 'It actually kind of protects the business to some degree by including that watermark,' Blessing said. 'It's like, 'Hey, we're including it with all of our software, if somebody removed this to use it in a bad way that's that's on them.'' Under the legislation, those found removing watermarks could be fined up to $10,000 by the attorney general. Residents harmed by a violation of this rule could also file a civil lawsuit. Blessing said throughout the bill's hearings, lawmakers will likely work on amending the bill to determine a date the watermark needs to be effective by to give entities time to implement the rule. Blessing and Johnson introduced similar legislation in the last General Assembly, Senate Bill 217, which received three hearings but ultimately did not reach a vote before the end of the session. A group of six entities, including the company NetChoice and Computer & Communications Industry Association, signed testimony in opposition to the bill. The organizations expressed concern that the watermark requirement in the bill may not currently be technologically feasible. Game against Columbus Blades boosts Buckeyes' spirits 'Responsible digital service providers have already taken aggressive steps to moderate dangerous and illegal content, consistent with their terms of service,' the written testimony reads. 'SB 217 is not limited to high-risk cases, but instead, is targeted towards any AI-developed product.' Three individuals testified in support of the bill, including the Center for Christian Virtue, the consumer rights nonprofit Public Citizen and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's Office, who originally brought the issue to Blessing's attention. 'We need to ensure there are guardrails on the use of AI so that, intentionally or unintentionally, it doesn't ruin a kid's life,' a spokesperson with the attorney general's office said. SB 163 awaits proponent and opponent testimony. It currently has two Democrat cosponsors. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No card, no problem: Ohio bill would require retailers to accept cash
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A recently introduced bill would require Ohio retailers to accept cash as a form of payment. Sens. Louis Blessing III (R-Colerain Township) and Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati) introduced Senate Bill 30 last week. The legislation would ban cashless businesses, requiring physical money to be accepted during any retail transaction conducted in person. The bill excludes transactions that occur over the phone, through the mail or online. 'We tend to be moving more towards a cashless society now and there are privacy concerns with that,' Blessing said. 'Beyond that, there's a number of people who are unbanked. Think immigrants and low-income people. So a cashless society becomes more problematic for them, and of course, seniors.' Student, attorney among Ohioans killed in D.C. plane crash In Ohio, 4.2% of households did not use banking services as of 2023, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Since there is no federal law in the United States that requires businesses to accept cash, a business can legally reject it unless a state or local law specifically prohibits it. The bill would allow the Ohio attorney general to sue businesses that reject cash for damages between $5,000 to $25,000 under the Consumer Sales Practices Act. Customers would also be able to sue for the amount of their transaction, plus up to $5,000. The bill does have exemptions for the following circumstances: Airport vendors in terminals where at least two other establishments sell food and accept cash Parking facilities owned by a city Parking facilities that only accept mobile payments Rental car companies that accept a cashier's check or certified check as payment Venues with a seating capacity of 10,000 or more Businesses that offer a device to convert a customer's cash into a prepaid card, as long as there is no conversion fee In recent years, multiple groups have come out against cashless establishments. The American Civil Liberties Union has condemned cashless stores, citing how low-income and undocumented people often lack access to banking services. MarketWatch, a financial news company, said cyberattacks and data leaks are more likely to affect those who pay digitally. Yes to caribou, no to crocodiles: A list of which exotic pets you can own in Ohio However, not everyone is on board with SB 30. The Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, an association representing over 7,700 businesses in the state, said the bill is unnecessary governmental oversight on businesses. 'This should be something that's between a business and its customers,' said Lora Miller, director of governmental relations and public affairs. 'Businesses know what their customers want and respond accordingly.' Miller said she is not aware of any businesses in the organization's thousands of members that do not accept cash. 'Maybe one of our over 7,000 members doesn't accept cash,' Miller said. 'It's just very unusual because in the business of retail, you want to take whatever the customer is going to give. … To tie their hands, so to speak, for the future by a state law seems overly burdensome and unnecessary.' Miller said she is perplexed by why the establishments that are frequently going cashless, such as sports or entertainment arenas, are the ones that are exempt from the bill. Ohio schools risk federal funding if they teach 'unpatriotically' under Trump order Blessing said he modeled the bill off of similar legislation that was signed into law in New Jersey. The exemptions in that law are the ones included in SB 30. 'As you can probably surmise, these things always turn out to be compromises; that's how it worked out in New Jersey,' Blessing said. 'Not having any options for cash at a sports facility – it's not something that most people go to on a daily basis. It's not the end of the world, and it's not really vital like going to the grocery would be.' The new legislation marks the third time Blessing has introduced a bill requiring retailers to accept cash. If SB 30 fails to pass, he said he plans to continue introducing the measure until it becomes law. The legislation was assigned to the Small Business and Economic Opportunity committee and awaits its first public hearing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
