US first lady backs deepfake porn bill in first solo engagement

by Anuj CHOPRA

US First Lady Melania Trump on Monday threw her support behind a bill aimed at protecting Americans from deepfake revenge pornography, in her first solo public engagement since her husband returned to the White House.

Appearing in a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill, she sought to shine a spotlight on the Take It Down Act, which criminalizes the online publication of non-consensual sexual imagery that is often created using cheap and widely available artificial intelligence tools.

"In today's AI-driven world, the threat of privacy breaches is alarming and high," the first lady told the panel, sitting next to two teenage female victims of deepfake porn.

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"It's heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content," she added.

The bill, introduced by Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, would require social media platforms and websites to have procedures in place to swiftly remove non-consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated pornography, upon notification from a victim.

Though it has passed a vote in the US Senate, the bill has yet to clear the House of Representatives.

While urging bipartisan support for the bill, Melania took a dig at Democrats for not prioritizing its passage.

"I expected to see more Democrat leaders with us here today to address this serious issue," she said.

"Surely as adults, we can prioritize American children ahead of partisan politics."

An online boom in non-consensual deepfakes is currently outpacing efforts to regulate the technology around the world due to a proliferation of AI tools, including photo apps digitally undressing women.

A handful of US states including California and Florida have passed laws making sexually explicit deepfakes a punishable offense, and campaigners are calling on Congress to urgently pass a host of bills to regulate their creation and dissemination, including the Take It Down Act.

While high-profile politicians and celebrities, including singer Taylor Swift, have been victims of deepfake porn, experts say women not in the public eye are equally vulnerable.

A wave of AI porn scandals have been reported at schools across US states -- from California to New Jersey -- with hundreds of teenagers often targeted by their own classmates.

Such non-consensual imagery can lead to harassment, bullying or blackmail, sometimes causing devastating mental health consequences, experts warn.

The scandals led to a warning from the FBI last year that such child sexual abuse material, including realistic AI-generated images, was illegal.

"In an era where digital interactions are integral to daily life, it is imperative that we safeguard children from mean-spirited and hurtful online behavior," the first lady said.

The roundtable marked Melania's first solo public engagement since Donald Trump began his second White House term.

The first lady has largely been an elusive figure at the White House, spending only limited time in Washington since her husband took the oath of office on January 20.