Pakistan(National Times)-WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has signed a new law that makes it a crime to share fake or real intimate images created without someone\u2019s permission. The law targets videos and pictures made using artificial intelligence \u2014 known as deepfakes \u2014 which are often used to harass or embarrass people online. The new rules mean anyone who shares such content without consent could face up to three years in prison. The Take It Down Act, passed with overwhelming bipartisan congressional support, criminalises the non-consensual publication of intimate images, while also mandating their removal from online platforms. \u201cWith the rise of AI image generation, countless women have been harassed with deepfakes and other explicit images distributed against their will,\u201d Trump said at a signing ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House. \u201cAnd today we\u2019re making it totally illegal,\u201d the president said. \u201cAnyone who intentionally distributes explicit images without the subject\u2019s consent will face up to three years in prison.\u201d First Lady Melania Trump endorsed the bill in early March and attended the signing ceremony in a rare public White House appearance. The First Lady has largely been an elusive figure at the White House since her husband took the oath of office on January 20, spending only limited time in Washington. In remarks at the signing ceremony, she described the bill as a \u201cnational victory that will help parents and families protect children from online exploitation.\u201d \u201cThis legislation is a powerful step forward in our efforts to ensure that every American, especially young people, can feel better protected from their image or identity being abused,\u201d she said. Deepfakes often rely on artificial intelligence and other tools to create realistic-looking fake videos. They can be used to create falsified explicit imagery of real women, which is then published without their consent and widely shared. Some US states, including California and Florida, have laws criminalising the publication of sexually explicit deepfakes, but critics have voiced concerns that the Take It Down Act grants the authorities increased censorship power. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit focused on free expression, has said the bill gives \u201cthe powerful a dangerous new route to manipulate platforms into removing lawful speech that they simply don\u2019t like.\u201d The bill would require social media platforms and websites to have procedures in place to swiftly remove non-consensual intimate imagery upon notification from a victim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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 that digitally undress women. While high-profile politicians and celebrities, including singer Taylor Swift, have been victims of deepfake videos, experts say women not in the public eye are equally vulnerable. A wave of AI video scandals has been reported at schools across US states, with hundreds of teenagers targeted by their own classmates. Such non-consensual imagery can lead to harassment, bullying or blackmail, sometimes causing devastating mental health consequences, experts warn. Renee Cummings, an AI and data ethicist and criminologist at the University of Virginia, said the bill is a \u201csignificant step\u201d in addressing the exploitation of AI-generated deepfakes and non-consensual imagery. \u201cIts effectiveness will depend on swift and sure enforcement, severe punishment for perpetrators and real-time adaptability to emerging digital threats,\u201d Cummings told AFP.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pakistan(National Times)-WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has signed a new law that makes it a crime to share fake or real intimate images created without someone\u2019s permission. The law targets videos and pictures made using artificial intelligence \u2014 known as deepfakes \u2014 which are often used to harass or embarrass people online. The new rules […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":104683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-104682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n