FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec 5, 2024
Contact: adam@encodeai.org
Tech Policy Leaders Launch Major Push for AI Deepfake Legislation
Major Initiative Unites Child Safety Advocates, Tech Experts Behind Senate-Passed Bills
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Encode and Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) today led a coalition of over 30 organizations calling on House leadership to advance crucial legislation addressing non-consensual AI-generated deepfakes. As first reported by Axios, the joint letter urges immediate passage of two bipartisan bills: the DEFIANCE Act and TAKE IT DOWN Act, both of which have cleared the Senate with strong support.
“This unprecedented coalition demonstrates the urgency of addressing deepfake nudes before they become an unstoppable crisis,” said Encode VP of Public Policy Adam Billen. “AI-generated nudes are flooding our schools and communities, robbing our children of the safe upbringing they deserve. The DEFIANCE and TAKE IT DOWN Acts are a rare, bipartisan opportunity for Congress to get ahead of a technological challenge before it’s too late.”
The coalition spans leading victim support organizations such as the Sexual Violence Prevention Association, RAINN, and Raven, major technology policy organizations like the Software Information and Industry Association and the Center for AI and Digital Policy, and prominent advocacy groups including the American Principles Project, Common Sense Media and Public Citizen.
The legislation targets a growing digital threat: AI-generated non-consensual intimate imagery. Under the DEFIANCE Act, survivors gain the right to pursue civil action against perpetrators, while the TAKE IT DOWN Act introduces criminal consequences and mandates platform accountability through required content removal systems. Following the DEFIANCE Act’s Senate passage this summer, the TAKE IT DOWN Act secured Senate approval in recent days.
The joint campaign – coordinated by Encode and ARI – marks an unprecedented alignment between children’s safety advocates, anti-exploitation experts, and technology policy specialists. Building on this momentum, both organizations unveiled StopAIFakes.com Wednesday, launching a grassroots petition drive to demonstrate public demand for legislative action.
About Encode: Encode is a youth-led organization advocating for safe and responsible artificial intelligence.
Media Contact:
Adam Billen
VP, Political Affairs
Contact: comms@encodeai.org
