WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Hotel heiress and reality television star Paris Hilton was in Washington Thursday, urging House lawmakers to pass legislation that aims to help victims of nonconsensual A.I. pornography.
“The DEFIANCE Act is a bipartisan bill that gives survivors a path to justice,” said Hilton, at a press conference outside the Capitol Building.
The bill, also known as the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits Act, would give “deepfake” victims the right to sue people who produce and/or send such images.
For Hilton, the issue is deeply personal. Years ago, sexual images of her were shared online without her consent.
“When I was 19 years old, a private, intimate video of me was shared with the world without my consent. People called it a scandal. It wasn’t. It was abuse,” she said.
The bill’s sponsors, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL), hosted Thursday’s press conference alongside Hilton. Both said that legislation aims to get justice for victims who have been targeted using non-consensual pornographic deepfakes.
“Congress has a moral obligation to stop this harm. We can stop this harm. And we can pass this legislation to hold the people responsible, accountable,” said Rep. Ocasio-Cortez.
“I am committed to working with my colleagues in the House to see this legislation enacted. So perpetrators face consequences for their actions, and victims across the country finally have the protections they deserve,” said Rep. Lee.
The bill already passed in the Senate earlier in the month and has bipartisan support in the House.
Lee said she is optimistic that the bill will be taken up for consideration soon in the House Judiciary Committee.