Paris Hilton joins AOC in fight against AI porn
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Ocasio-Cortez speaks in support of the DEFIANCE Act alongside Hilton and Lee on Jan. 22. Photo: Heather Diehl/Getty Images
Paris Hilton is backing a bipartisan bill to make it easier for victims of deepfakes to sue, speaking out Thursday alongside lawmakers and advocates on Capitol Hill.
Why it matters: A surge in nonconsensual sexualized images targeting women and children is fueling calls for stronger legal protections.
Driving the news: DEFIANCE Act co-sponsors Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Laurel Lee (R-Ohio), Hilton and survivors of online sexual abuse drew a large crowd outside the Capitol at an event Thursday calling for the bill's passage.
- Hilton has previously worked with lawmakers on child-welfare legislation, advocating for the bipartisan Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act that was signed into law in 2024.
What they're saying: Hilton recounted that when she was 19 years old, a private, intimate video of her was shared online without her consent: "People called it a scandal. It wasn't. It was abuse."
- "They called me names, they laughed and made me the punch line. They sold my pain for clicks, and then they told me to be quiet, to move on, to even be grateful for the attention," Hilton said.
- "This isn't about just technology. It's about power. It's about someone using someone's likeness to humiliate, silence and strip them of their dignity."
Context: This issue isn't new or limited to any single AI company. But Elon Musk's Grok chatbot has drawn fresh scrutiny in recent weeks after generating sexualized images at users' request, sparking outcry and reviving a push to pass legislation.
- The DEFIANCE Act passed by unanimous consent in the Senate earlier this month.
- The bill would go beyond current law by addressing the production, distribution and solicitation of nonconsensual sexual imagery and giving individuals the right to sue.
- The TAKE IT DOWN Act, a deepfakes bill signed into law last year, will require platforms to remove child sex abuse material and nonconsensual intimate images within 48 hours of being notified by the victim.
"TAKE IT DOWN gave us removal and DEFIANCE will give us recourse and restitution," Ocasio-Cortez said.
- "Women lose their jobs when they are targeted with this. Teenagers switch schools and children lose their lives. Congress has a moral obligation to stop this harm," said Ocasio-Cortez, who has been targeted herself.
- Sexual Violence Prevention Association CEO Omny Miranda Martone said people "are really struggling to have any action taken" because district attorneys often don't feel it's a "big enough fish" to fry.
Threat level: Around 23,000 sexualized images of children were generated during the 11 days after Grok launched its image-generating feature, according to new research from the Center for Countering Digital Hate.
- Earlier on Thursday, the White House hosted an AI roundtable with victims of sexual abuse to discuss AI harms and innovation, a source familiar said.
What's next: Lee said she's "very optimistic" the House Judiciary Committee will take up the bill soon before a full House vote.
- First lady Melania Trump was instrumental for TAKE IT DOWN, and advocates say she would be a key voice in getting DEFIANCE across the finish line.
- Her office did not respond to a request for comment.
- Asked about the first lady, Hilton said that "I think it's really incredible when women come together and join forces to make the world a safer place for women and children."
