Latest news with #PreventingDeepFakeImagesAct
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Deepfakes? Revenge porn? Trump signs bi-partisan Take It Down Act to combat fake intimate images
Take it down is the newest chant and act coming from Congress to curtail non-consensual intimate imagery, including deepfakes and revenge porn. On May 19, President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan "Take It Down" Act, which has received support from both sides of the aisle. The act mirrors some state acts and proposed bills in the effort to combat the distribution of intimate images that the parties represented in did not consent to, including a bill from Tennessee. The national bill, first introduced last year by Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, is championed by Melania Trump as part of the first lady's recently reupped "Be Best" campaign. Here's a look at what the act entails. While state legislations can put penalties on the distribution of these intimate images, victims have struggled to have images depicting them removed from websites, increasing the likelihood that the images will be continuously spread and the victims retraumatized by it. "The Take It Down Act will protect victims of digital exploitation, hold internet platforms accountable by requiring them to remove such imagery from their platform and provide justice for victims by allowing prosecutors to go after those who publish nonconsensual explicit images online," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. The Take it Down Act now criminalizes the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery, including deepfakes that are usually AI-generated images that may impose a person's face onto an image or even video to make it look like them. Here are some of the key elements of the act: Makes non-consensual intimate imagery a federal crime. Meaning if a person knowingly publishes or shares it on social media and other online platforms, they can be charged. Also clarifies language so that the consent to create an image does not mean consent to share it. Social media sites, websites or any online platform have to remove non-consensual intimate imagery upon notice from the victim within 48 hours of the verified request. Non-consensual intimate imagery, also known as NCII in the act, includes realistic, computer-generated pornographic images and videos that depict identifiable, real people. In April, former NewsChannel 5 meteorologist Bree Smith pushed the Tennessee House legislature to pass a bill the would make it illegal in the state for someone to post "intimate" deep fakes online. Smith, a deepfake victim, testified before the House that images of a "semi-nude body" with her face superimposed on it had been circulating online. She was happy to hear that the House of Representatives listened to her story and passed the bill. "I am a flood of emotions," Smith posted on Facebook. "I'm most proud of the fact that my boys were with me … that they got to see first hand that justice is possible." The Preventing Deep Fake Images Act, passed the House with no opposition April 21 and a week later passed the Senate 32-0. Here's what it includes: Makes it a felony "to disclose or threaten to disclose or solicit the disclosure of an intimate digital depiction with the intent to harass, annoy, threaten, alarm, or cause substantial harm to the finances or reputation of the depicted individual." People who are the victim of a deepfake are able to sue the person who posted images or videos without consent for financial damages. USA TODAY and Brad Schmitt with The Tennessean contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What is the Take It Down Act? Congress tackles deepfakes, revenge porn
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After Bree Smith testimony, legislature passes bill battling 'intimate' deep fakes online
A bill making it illegal to post "intimate" deep fakes online passed in the Tennessee House on April 21 as former NewsChannel 5 meteorologist Bree Smith — a deep fake victim and the main driver of the legislation — looked on with her family. "I am a flood of emotions," Smith posted on Facebook. "I'm most proud of the fact that my boys were with me … that they got to see first hand that justice is possible." Smith testified before a state House committee in March that someone had posted a video of her face on someone else's "semi-nude body" online. She also said there were numerous imposters on social media who were tricking her fans into sending money to the imposters. "Discovering these imposter accounts and seeing the degrading fake images and videos was devastating to me," she testified. The bill, the Preventing Deep Fake Images Act, passed the House with no opposition April 21, about a week after the Senate passed the bill 32-0. "...wrongs can be made right. Pain can be transformed into purpose," Smith posted. "Our voices and our stories have power and when we use them well, we can change the world." The bill makes it a felony "to disclose or threaten to disclose or solicit the disclosure of an intimate digital depiction with the intent to harass, annoy, threaten, alarm, or cause substantial harm to the finances or reputation of the depicted individual." The bill also lets people sue and recover financial damages from those who post pictures or videos of "intimate digital depiction ... without the consent of the individual" or those who "recklessly disregards whether the individual has not consented to such disclosure." Reach Brad Schmitt at brad@ or at 615-259-8384. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Bree Smith-inspired bill battling online deep fakes passed in legislature
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bree Smith said she's the victim of a semi-nude deepfake. Now, she wants the law changed
Former NewsChannel 5 meteorologist Bree Smith is pushing for changes to Tennessee law after multiple social media accounts used her image in faked pictures and sexually charged AI deepfake videos to scam her fans. "Last fall, fake Facebook accounts pretending to be me started popping up. These accounts used fake pictures that showed my face on someone else's semi-nude body," Smith told the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee on Wednesday. "They also make fake videos that used my face and my name to try to convince people that it was really me. Discovering these imposter accounts and seeing the degrading fake images and videos was devastating to me," she said. Smith, 43, testified in support of HB1299, known as the Preventing Deep Fake Images Act, which makes it a felony "to disclose or threaten to disclose or solicit the disclosure of an intimate digital depiction with the intent to harass, annoy, threaten, alarm, or cause substantial harm to the finances or reputation of the depicted individual." The bill also lets people sue and recover financial damages from those who post pictures or videos of "intimate digital depiction ... without the consent of the individual" or those who "recklessly disregards whether the individual has not consented to such disclosure." Smith said she was devastated to learn there was little recourse for the onslaught of fake accounts and disturbing images. She said she took her concerns to her then-employer and to social media companies but was told nothing could be done. The subcommittee in a 7-0 vote advanced the bill, a move Smith called "overwhelming." "There is still a lot of work to be done," Smith told The Tennessean after she testified. "But I'm glad to see progress moving forward, because I think that this is necessary as a protection for everybody in Tennessee." In her testimony, Smith said the people who created the fake images and videos were using them to try to convince Smith's fans to send them money. In one case, Smith testified, a viewer received a few fake videos where it appeared Smith "promised many sexual acts and asked the viewer to send them money to book a two-night stay at the Conrad Hotel." "Personally, it has been very degrading and it plummeted me into a very dark depression," Smith testified. "Having my face, my reputation and my identity distorted into something so vile and vulnerable traumatized me and my family. "This has devastated my life's work," testified Smith, who had been chief meteorologist at NewsChannel 5 for nine years before she and the station parted ways in January. The station said at the time that Smith's contract had ended and WTVF and Smith couldn't agree on terms for a new contract. "I did what I did because I believed that I could help people. I believed that when severe weather was happening, I could save people's lives. So to then have my face, my reputation, the trust this community put in me now being weaponized, to hurt the very people I spent my entire career trying to protect? I mean it essentially it stole what I worked so hard to create and put me in an impossible place where now I was the threat to the people I spent my entire career protecting." The bill is sponsored by Rep. Jason Powell, D-Nashville, and a state Senate version is being sponsored by Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville. Reach Brad Schmitt at brad@ or Melissa Brown at mbrown@ (This story has been updated to change a video and to add some testimony.) This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ex-NewsChannel 5 staffer Bree Smith testifies about deepfake video
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bree Smith said she's the victim of a semi-nude deepfake. Now, she wants the law changed.
Former NewsChannel 5 meteorologist Bree Smith is pushing for changes to Tennessee law after multiple social media accounts used her image in faked pictures and sexually charged AI deepfake videos to scam her fans. "Last fall, fake Facebook accounts pretending to be me started popping up. These accounts used fake pictures that showed my face on someone else's semi-nude body," Smith told the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee on Wednesday. "They also make fake videos that used my face and my name to try to convince people that it was really me. Discovering these imposter accounts and seeing the degrading fake images and videos was devastating to me," she said. Smith, 43, testified in support of HB1299, known as the Preventing Deep Fake Images Act, which makes it a felony "to disclose or threaten to disclose or solicit the disclosure of an intimate digital depiction with the intent to harass, annoy, threaten, alarm, or cause substantial harm to the finances or reputation of the depicted individual." The bill also lets people sue and recover financial damages from those who post pictures or videos of "intimate digital depiction ... without the consent of the individual" or those who "recklessly disregards whether the individual has not consented to such disclosure." Smith said she was devastated to learn there was little recourse for the onslaught of fake accounts and disturbing images. She said she took her concerns to her then-employer and to social media companies but was told nothing could be done. The subcommittee in a 7-0 vote advanced the bill, a move Smith called "overwhelming." "There is still a lot of work to be done," Smith told The Tennessean after she testified. "But I'm glad to see progress moving forward, because I think that this is necessary as a protection for everybody in Tennessee." In her testimony, Smith said the people who created the fake images and videos were using them to try to convince Smith's fans to send them money. In one case, Smith testified, a viewer received a few fake videos where it appeared Smith "promised many sexual acts and asked the viewer to send them money to book a two-night stay at the Conrad Hotel." "This has devastated my life's work," testified Smith, who had been chief meteorologist at NewsChannel 5 for nine years before she and the station parted ways in January. The station said at the time that Smith's contract had ended and WTVF and Smith couldn't agree on terms for a new contract. "I did what I did because I believed that I could help people. I believed that when severe weather was happening, I could save people's lives. So to then have my face, my reputation, the trust this community put in me now being weaponized, to hurt the very people I spent my entire career trying to protect? I mean it essentially it stole what I worked so hard to create and put me in an impossible place where now I was the threat to the people I spent my entire career protecting." The bill is sponsored by Rep. Jason Powell, D-Nashville, and a state Senate version is being sponsored by Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville. Reach Brad Schmitt at brad@ or Melissa Brown at mbrown@ This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ex-NewsChannel 5 staffer Bree Smith testifies about deepfake video
